title: [miR-378 suppresses HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma tumor growth by directly targeting the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the impact and mechanism of microRNA (miR)-378 on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell growth.
  
  
  METHODS
  The human hepatoma cell line HepG2 and its derivative HepG2.2.15 (stably expressing hepatitis B virus (HBV)) were transduced with lentiviruses expressing miR-378 or non-expressing controls (nc-Lv). Effects on cell proliferation were assessed by the MTT assay and on colony-formation efficiency by clonogenic assay. Targets of miR-378 were predicted by bioinformatic analysis and validated by luciferase reporter assay in the human embryonic kidney cell line HEK293. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting were used to monitor expression of the endogenous targets in miR-378- overexpressing HepG2 and HepG2.2.15 cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The HepG2 and HepG2.2.15 cells transduced with lentivirus expressing miR-378 showed significantly lower cell proliferation and colony formation than the control cells transduced with nc-Lv (P less than 0.01 and P less than 0.05, respectively). The insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) was predicted as a potential target of miR-378, and luciferase reporter activity of IGF1R was significantly decreased in the HEK293 cells co-transfected with miR-378 (by 41.8% vs. the control cells, P less than 0.01). Moreover, the miRNA-378-mediated effect was narrowed down to the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of IGF1R. The miRNA-378-mediated reduction of IGF1R specifically involved its protein expression (P less than 0.01) and not its mRNA expression (P more than 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  miR-378 may suppress growth characteristics of HBV-related HCC by directly targeting the IGF1R 3'-UTR and inhibiting its protein expression.
authors.affiliation: Oncology Institute, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Wuxi 214062, China.
authors.forename: Li-hua
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Xiao-yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zi-jian
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D017526:Receptor, IGF Type 1 / Q000235:genetics*; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: C526012:MIRN378 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D017526:Receptor, IGF Type 1