Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common causes of cancer-associated mortality worldwide, particularly in China. MicroRNAs (miRs) serve important roles in the pathogenesis of HCC. The present study investigated the function of miR-1271 in HCC. The miR-1271 levels were analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Cells growth was examined by MTT assay. Bioinformatics algorithms from TargetScanHuman were used to predict the target genes of miR-1271. The protein level was assayed by western blotting. miR-1271 demonstrated a lower expression level in HCC tissues. Upregulation of miR-1271 suppressed the growth of HepG-2 and Huh-7 cells and induced apoptosis of cells. Forkhead box Q1 (FOXQ1) was targeted by miR-1271. In conclusion, miR-1271 is a novel tumor suppressor that inhibits HCC proliferation and induces cellular apoptosis by targeting FOXQ1 in HCC. The results of the present study may provide a novel therapeutic target of HCC.
Keywords: cell growth; hepatocellular carcinoma; microRNA-1271; survival.