MiR-335-5p inhibits proliferation of Huh-7 liver cancer cells via targeting the Oct4/Akt pathway.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to detect the expression of micro ribonucleic acid (miR)-335-5p in the liver tissues of patients with liver cancer, and to explore its effect on liver cancer and mechanism using Huh7 human liver cancer cells.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Liver tissues were collected from patients with liver cancer. The expression of miR-335-5p in tissues was detected via quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Subsequently, Huh7 cells were transfected with miR-335-5p in vitro. After overexpressing miR-335-5p, changes in the expression of octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4) gene were observed via qRT-PCR. Furthermore, the proliferation of Huh7 cells and the protein expressions of protein kinase B (Akt) and phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) were detected using cell counting kit (CCK)-8 assay and Western blotting (WB), respectively.

RESULTS

Compared with Control group, the expression of miR-335-5p increased significantly in the liver tissues of liver cancer patients (p<0.01). In comparison with those in negative group, the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of Oct4 and the proliferation rate of Huh7 cells were both significantly inhibited in miR-335-5p group (p<0.01, p<0.05). After overexpression of miR-335-5p, the protein expression level of p-Akt decreased remarkably (p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-335-5p directly binds to the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of Oct4 mRNA to restrain the phosphorylation of Akt, thereby inhibiting Huh7 cell proliferation.