ABSTRACT
Materials and Methods: Hsa_circ_0051908 expression was determined using RT-qPCR. HCC cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and migration were assessed using CCK-8 assay, EdU staining, TUNEL staining, flow cytometry, and transwell assay. The molecular mechanism was analyzed using western blotting. In addition, the role of hsa_circ_0051908 in tumor growth was evaluated in vivo. Results: Hsa_circ_0051908 expression was increased in both HCC tissues and cell lines. The proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells were significantly decreased after hsa_circ_0051908 knockdown, while cell apoptosis was notably increased. Furthermore, we found that hsa_circ_0051908 silencing downregulated vimentin and Snail and upregulated E-cadherin. In vivo, hsa_circ_0051908 silencing significantly inhibited the growth of the tumor. Conclusions: Our data provide evidence that hsa_circ_0051908 promotes HCC progression partially by mediating the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process, and it may be used for HCC treatment.
Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular , Disease Progression , Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition , Liver Neoplasms , RNA, Circular , Animals , Humans , Male , Apoptosis/genetics , Cadherins/metabolism , Cadherins/genetics , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/metabolism , Cell Line, Tumor , Cell Movement/genetics , Cell Proliferation/genetics , Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition/genetics , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic , Liver Neoplasms/genetics , Liver Neoplasms/pathology , Liver Neoplasms/metabolism , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Mice, Nude , Neoplasm Invasiveness , RNA, Circular/genetics , RNA, Circular/metabolism , Vimentin/metabolism , Vimentin/geneticsABSTRACT
Background: Hsa_circ_0028861, a newly discovered serum exosome circular RNA (circRNA), is greatly reduced in the serum of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the exact role of hsa_circ_0028861 in the progression of liver cancer is still unknown. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients with HCC were enrolled in this study. Hsa_circ_0028861 expression was explored via real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. The influence of curcumol on HCC cells were tested using CCK-8 assay, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) staining, cell wound healing assay, and migration assay, respectively. The related mechanism was determined by Western blot. A xenograft tumor model was constructed, and mice were administrated with curcumol. Results: The expression of hsa_circ_0028861 in tumor tissues was elevated of patients with HCC and in HCC cells. Curcumol treatment decreased the expression of hsa_circ_0028861 in HCC cells. Curcumol treatment could largely suppress the viability, proliferation, and migration of HCC cells by reducing hsa_circ_0028861 expression and mediating the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. Curcumol also effectively restrained tumor growth in the HCC mice model. Conclusions: Curcumol exerted an inhibitory role in HCC progression by downregulating hsa_circ_0028861 expression and mediating the EMT process, which provides evidence for screening new therapeutic targets and drug therapies for HCC treatment.
