MicroRNA ‐34a inhibit hepatocellular carcinoma progression by repressing hexokinase‐1

The current study demonstrated that upregulation of microRNA ‐34a (miR‐34a) restrained viability and proliferation capacity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells, as well as tumorigenesis via downregulating hexokinase (HK)‐1 in vivo. The results may provide novel insights into the molecular mechanism of miR‐34a and HK1 in the progression of HCC. Thu s, miR‐34a/HK1 axis might be a novel promising therapeutic target for treating HCC. AbstractHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is known as a frequent type of primary cancer in the liver, and it is the third ‐most common cause of cancer‐related death all over the world. However, the molecular mechanism in the progression of HCC is still unclear. The current study was designed to investigate the expression and function of microRNA‐34a (miR‐34a) in HCC. In HCC tissues and cells, the expression lev els of miR‐34a were analyzed by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction. The association between the level of miR‐34a and hexokinase (HK)‐1 was also investigated via luciferase reporter assay. Cell viability and proliferation were detected by 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2 ,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and flow cytometry. To assess whether miR‐34a can limit tumor growth in vivo, animal models and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay were used for examining the role of miR‐34a on the development of HCC and cell apoptosis. The expression level of miR‐34a w...
Source: Journal of Cellular Biochemistry - Category: Biochemistry Authors: Tags: RESEARCH ARTICLE Source Type: research