miR-199a-5p inhibits the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by regulating CDC25A to induce cell cycle arrest

Abstract

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been verified as a really common cancer worldwide. Several studies have suggested that the suppression of malignancy growth can be traced to miR-199a-5p. Even though CDC25A could activate the tumorigenesis of various cancer by modulating cell cycle, the modulation of the miR-199a-5p/CDC25A axis is still not clear in HCC. Our aim is to identify the modulation of the miR-199a-5p/CDC25A axis in HCC.

Methods: The expression of CDC25A and miR-199a-5p in HCC cells and tissues was assessed using qRT-PCR. After using western blot assay to confirm the protein level, luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down assays were performed to explore the relation between CDC25A and miR-199a-5p. Functional assays such as CCK8 assay, BrdU proliferation assay and flow cytometry analysis identified the cell progression.

Results: Experimental findings indicated the downregulation of miR-199a-5p in HCC samples. It was also found that miR-199a-5p overexpression declined the development of the cells with HCC and that it could bind to CDC25A to suppress the progression of HCC.

Conclusion: Research suggested that miR-199a-5p could restrain the proliferation ability of HCC cells by regulating CDC25A, thus inducing cell-cycle arrest.

Keywords: CDC25A; Cell cycle; Hepatocellular carcinoma; miR-199a-5p.