miR-125a-5p-targeted regulation of TRA2β expression inhibits proliferation and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Junde Zhou; Linna Wang; Yunfu Cui; Lanhua Tang

miR-125a-5p-targeted regulation of TRA2β expression inhibits proliferation and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Am J Transl Res. 2021 Dec 15;13(12):14074-14080. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Junde Zhou¹, Linna Wang², Yunfu Cui³, Lanhua Tang⁴

Affiliations

¹ Ward 3 of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University Harbin 150086, Heilongjiang, China.
² The Sixth Department of Oncology, General Hospital of Heilongjiang General Bureau of Land Reclamation Harbin 150088, Heilongjiang, China.
³ Ward 1 of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University Harbin 150086, Heilongjiang, China.
⁴ Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University Changsha 410008, Hunan, China.

PMID: 35035750
PMCID: PMC8748114

Abstract

Objective: To explore the regulation of miR-125a-5p in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its mechanisms.

Methods: By transfecting a miR-125a-5p sequence and an interfering sequence of miR-125a-5p-s into human HCC cell lines HCC-LM3 and HepG2, miR-125a-5p-related levels were assesed by Western blot. The abilities of cell proliferation and migration were assessed by cell culture and Transwell assay, respectively.

Results: HepG2 cells showed increased miR-125a-5p levels compared with HCC-LM3 cells (P < 0.01). However, compared with QZG cells, the level of miR-125a-5p in HepG2 and HCC-LM3 cells was down-regulated. Compared with miR-125a-5p groups, miR-125a-5p-s groups showed increased colony formation rate and mobility (P < 0.01). After being transfected with miR-125a-5p, the transformation factor 2β (TRA2β) and mRNA levels were decreased, whereas 5p-s expression was increased (P < 0.01). Inhibition of TRA2β by small interfering RNA (siRNA) diminished the ability of cells.

Conclusion: miR-125a-5p inhibits the invasive capacity of HCC cells through targeting the TRA2β pathway.

Keywords: TRA2β; hepatocellular carcinoma; invasion; microRNA-125a.