Role and Clinical Significance of miR-144-3p in Primary Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

The morbidity of liver cancer (LC) is increasing and its high mortality poses a significant health threat worldwide. Therefore, it is crucial to identify the underlying mechanism of LC development and progression. The expression of miR-144-3p and ZEB1 gene in LC and paracanerous tissues was measured by Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We transfected miR-144-3p-mimics, miR-NC, si-ZEB1, and si-NC into HepG2, Huh-7, and HL-7702 normal liver cells to establish a cell model. Protein expression was examined by western blot (WB) analysis. Cell proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis were assessed by CCK-8, Transwell, and flow cytometry assays. The relationship between miR-144-3p and ZEB1 was determined using a dual-luciferase reporter assay. We found that miR-144-3p expression decreased dramatically, whereas ZEB1 increased in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Moreover, over-expressing miR-144-3p suppressed cell growth and induced apoptosis. The expression of apoptosis-related proteins was consistent with the induction of apoptosis. The relationship between miR-144-3p and ZEB1 was confirmed using a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Finally, rescue experiments revealed that over-expressing ZEB1 counteracted miR-144-3p inhibition on LC cell growth, invasion, and apoptosis induction. We conclude that miR-144-3p suppresses HCC cell growth and invasion and promotes apoptosis by regulating ZEB1 expression, suggesting that this interaction may represent a target for HCC treatment.