Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cause of the tumor worldwide, its incidence is increasing year by year. This study aims to investigate the sorting and biological characteristics of side population (SP) cells. Human HCC tissues used were obtained from patients undergoing surgical resection. SP cells were sorted using flow cytometry. Cell cycle assay, apoptosis assay and colony formation assay were performed to detect cell proliferation and apoptosis. Invasion assay was employed to examine SP cell invasion. Tumorigenicity assay was used to evaluate tumorigenicity. HCC related microRNAs (miRNA) were analyzed using Micro-array analysis. Target genes were predicted using miRNA database. GO analsis was employed to predict target gene function. Apoptosis percentage was lower and cell viability was higher in SP cells than non-SP (NSP) cells. Colony forming ability of SP cells was significantly higher than NSP cells. Transwell assay positive cells in SP cells were higher significantly than NSP cells. Tumorigenicity of SP cells was higher significantly than NSP cells. 107 differentially expression miRNA were discovered, including 45 up-expressed miRNAs and 62 down-expressed miRNAs in SP cells. Up-regulated hsa-miR-193b-3p and hsa-miR-505-3p predict 25 and 35 target genes, and correlated with 4 and 42 GO terms, respectively. Down-regulated hsa-miR-200a-3p, hsa-miR-194-5p, hsa-miR-130b-3p predict 133, 48 and 127 target genes, and correlate with 10, 7 and 109 GO terms, respectively. In conclusion, proliferation, colony formation, anti-apoptosis, self-renewal capavility, invasive characteristic and tumorigenicity in SP cells isolated from HCC tissues was higher compared to NSP cells. Therefore, sorted SP cells could characterize with biological functions of cancer stem cells.
Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; biological characteristics; cell sorting; microRNA; side population.