Yong Wang, Chen Chen, Xintian Wang, Chao Jiang
Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University), Changsha, China
Summary
Purpose: To uncover the biological role of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) PCGEM1 in regulating the progression of liver cancer and the molecular mechanism.
Methods: PCGEM1 levels in clinical specimens of liver cancer and cell lines were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). By analyzing the pathological data of recruited patients, the influences of PCGEM1 on tumor node metastasis (TNM) staging, tumor grading, lymphatic metastasis, and overall survival of liver cancer patients were assessed. Hep3B and Huh7 cells were transfected with si-PCGEM1, followed by detection of proliferative, migratory, and invasive rates through 5-Ethynyl-2’- deoxyuridine (EdU), cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), and transwell assay. The interaction between PCGEM1 and SNAI1 was explored, and the biological functions of SNAI1 in liver cancer cell behaviors were finally detected.
Results: PCGEM1 and SNAI1 were upregulated in clinical specimens of liver cancer and cell lines. High levels of PCGEM1 were detected in liver cancer cases with advanced staging, grading, or lymphatic metastasis, which predicted poor prognosis of liver cancer patients. Knockdown of PCGEM1 reduced proliferative, migratory, and invasive rates in Hep3B and Huh7 cells. SNAI1 was upregulated in liver cancer tissues and positively correlated with PCGEM1. Knockdown of SNAI1 also suppressed proliferative and metastatic potentials in Hep3B and Huh7 cells.
Conclusions: LncRNA PCGEM1 triggers liver cancer cells to proliferate, migrate, and invade by upregulating SNAI1.
Keywords: liver cancer, PCGEM1, SNAI1, proliferation, metastasis.
Full Text: PDF