Acta Anatomica Sinica ›› 2018, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (4): 469-474.doi: 10.16098/j.issn.0529-1356.2018.04.009

• Cancer Biology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

MicroRNA-539 inhibiting the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting E2F transcription factor 3

DENG Xue-jun1 GONG Shao-xin 1* YANG Sheng-hui2 HUANG Li-rong3 ZHOU Fang3   

  1. 1.Department of Pathology, the First Hospital Affiliated to Nanhua University, Hu’nan Hengyang421001, China; 2.Department of Immunology, Hu’nan University of Chinese Medicine Medical School, Changsha410208, China; 3.Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hu’nan Vocational College of Environmental Biology, Hu’nan Hengyang421005, China
  • Received:2017-11-29 Revised:2017-12-14 Online:2018-08-06 Published:2018-08-06
  • Contact: GONG Shao-xin E-mail:dengxuejun368@163.com

Abstract:

Objective To investigate the expression of microRNA-539 (miR-539) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the possible mechanism of miR-539 inhibition cancer cells. Methods  Ninety cases of liver cancer patients after liver cancer tissue and adjacent tissue specimens were collected, and the expression of miR-539 in clinical tissues was detected by Real-time PCR. MiR-539 mimics was transfected into QGY-7701, Huh7 and PCL/PRF5 hepatoma cells, and the expression of miR-539 was detected by Real-time PCR. The effect of miR-539 on the proliferation of HCC cells was detected by MTT assay. The effect of miR-539 on the apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells was detected by flow cytometry. The effect of miR-539 on the expression of E2F transcription factor 3(E2F3) protein in hepatocarcinoma cells was detected by Western blotting. Results  The expression of miR-539 in hepatocellular carcinoma was significantly lower than that in adjacent tissues. The expression of miR-539 was not correlated with sex, age and histological differentiation of hepatocellular carcinoma (P>0.05). The expression of miR-539 was correlated with tumor diameter and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). The expression of miR-539 in miR-539 mimics group was significantly higher than that in blank group and miR-539 NC group (P<0.05). In QGY-7701 cells, overexpression of miR-539 significantly inhibited cell proliferation (P<0.05), decreased E2F3 protein expression (P<0.05), but was no significant effect on apoptosis (P>0.05). Conclusion  miR-539 is a tumor suppressor factor in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma, which may inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells through the down-regulation of E2F3 protein level.

Key words: Hepatocellular carcinoma, microRNA-539, Transcription factor, Proliferation, Real-time PCR, Western blotting, Human