Objective To investigate the role of microRNA(miR)-299-3p in regulating the proliferation, invasion, and migration of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells through phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway.

Methods The human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line CNE2 was randomly divided into three groups: control group (no expression of miR-299-3p), over-expression group overexpression of miR-299-3p, and miR-299-3p low-expression group (low expression of miR-299-3p). CCK-8 experiment was to detect cell proliferation rate, flow cytometry was to detect apoptosis rate, Transwell chamber was to detect invasion and migration, Western blot was to detect p-PI3K and p-AKT protein expressions, real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction was to detect miR-299-3p expressions.

Results Compared with the control group, the over-expression group showed significant decreases in cell proliferation rate, the number of cells with invasion and migration, increase in apoptosis rate; compared with the control group, the low-expression group showed significant increases in cell proliferation rate, the number of cells with invasion and migration, phosphorylated PI3K (p-PI3K) and phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT) protein expression, decrease in apoptosis rate (P < 0.05).

Conclusion Over-expression of miR-299-3p may affect the proliferation, invasion, and migration behaviors of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by inhibiting PI3K/AKT signaling pathway activity.