Up-regulated enhances hepatocarcinoma metastasis by repressing PTEN expression.

It has been shown that may play an important role in the metastasis of hepatocarcinoma. The present study is to explore the influence of on hepatocarcinoma proliferation and metastasis, and the related molecular mechanism. The levels of in the serum and tissues of patients with metastatic or non-metastatic hepatocarcinoma or normal people were determined by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR). The proliferation, invasion, and cloning of hepatocarcinoma cell lines SMMC-7721 after transfection with mimic or inhibitor were determined. Luciferase reported assay was used to explore the relationship between and phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN). Then, the protein expression of PTEN, p-Akt (S473), p-Akt (T308), Akt, p-mTOR, mTOR, p-4E-BP1, 4E-BP1, p-S6K, and S6K in SMMC-7721 cells were also determined by Western blotting. The expression of in patients with metastatic hepatocarcinoma was significantly higher than the non-metastatic hepatocarcinoma. Overexpression of promoted the proliferation, invasion, and cloning of SMMC-7721 cells. Luciferase reported assay showed could directly target at 3'-UTR of PTEN. Overexpression of significantly reduced the expression of PTEN, and enhanced phosphorylation of Akt, mTOR, S6K, and 4E-BP1. In conclusion, the expression of was related to the proliferation and metastasis of hepatocarcinoma, which may be partly because of the activation of AKT/mTOR pathway through targetting PTEN.