miR-144-3p通过靶向FZD4阻断Wnt/β-catenin通路抑制肝癌Huh-7细胞的恶性生物学行为

miR-144-3p targets FZD4 to inhibit malignant biological behaviors of liver cancer Huh-7 cells via blocking Wnt/β-catenin pathway

目的:探讨miR-144-3p通过阻断卷曲受体4(FZD4)/Wnt/β-catenin信号通路对肝癌Huh-7细胞增殖、迁移和凋亡的影响及其作用机制。方法:收集2012年3月至2017年7月在柳州市工人医院手术切除的18例肝癌患者的癌组织及相应的癌旁组织标本,以及肝癌细胞系Huh-7、SMMC7721和MHCC97和人正常肝上皮细胞株THLE-3,用qPCR检测肝癌组织及细胞系中miR-144-3p的表达水平。将miR-144-3p mimics/inhibitor和FZD4敲降载体转染至Huh-7细胞中,用CCK-8、Transwell、划痕愈合实验和Annexin V-FITC/PI染色流式细胞术检测Huh-7细胞的增殖、迁移和凋亡水平。用双荧光素酶报告基因验证miR-144-3p和FZD4的靶向关系。结果:在肝癌组织和细胞系中miR-144-3p均呈低表达(P<0.05或P<0.01)。过表达miR-144-3p可显著抑制Huh-7细胞增殖、迁移并诱导细胞凋亡(均P<0.01)。双荧光素酶报告基因实验证明miR-144-3p靶向作用FZD4并下调其表达水平。体外实验进一步证实,过表达miR-144-3p靶向FZD4并阻断Wnt/β-catenin通路,进而抑制Huh-7细胞增殖、迁移和促进细胞凋亡(均P<0.01)。结论:miR-144-3p通过阻断FZD4/Wnt/β-catenin通路抑制肝癌Huh-7细胞的恶性生物学行为,为肝癌诊断或治疗提供了潜在分子靶点。

Objective:To investigate the effect of miR-144-3p modulating proliferation,migration and apoptosis of liver cancer Huh-7 cells through blocking frizzled class receptor 4(FZD4)/Wnt/β-catenin pathway and the possible mechanism.Methods:A total of 18 pairs of cancer tissues and corresponding para-cancerous tissues from liver cancer patients,who underwent surgery in Workers'Hospital of Liuzhou City from March 2012 to July 2017,were collected for this study;in addition,hepatic cancer cell lines(Huh-7,SMMC7721 and MHCC97)and human normal liver epithelial cell line THLE-3 were also collected.The expression of miR-144-3p in liver cancer tissues and cell lines was detected by qPCR.MiR-144-3p mimics/inhibitor and FZD4 siRNA were transfected into liver cancer Huh-7 cells;the proliferation,migration and apoptosis of Huh-7 cells were evaluated by CCK-8 assay,Transwell assay,wound healing assay and Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining flow cytometry assay,respectively.The interaction between miR-144-3p and FZD4 was verified by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay.Results:The expression of miR-144-3p was down-regulated in liver cancer tissues and cell lines(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Over-expression of miR-144-3p significantly inhibited cell proliferation viability,migration but induced apoptosis of Huh-7 cells(all P<0.01).Moreover,dual-luciferase reporter gene assay showed that miR-144-3p directly interacted with FZD4 and suppressed its expression.Furthermore,in vitro experiments verified that miR-144-3p targeted FZD4 to suppress the proliferation,migration and promote apoptosis of Huh-7 cells via blocking Wnt/β-catenin pathway(all P<0.01).Conclusion:miR-144-3p inhibits malignant biological behaviors of liver cancer Huh-7 cells via blocking Wnt/FZD4/β-catenin signaling pathway,which may provide potential molecular targets for early diagnosis or treatment of liver cancer.