title: [miR-128a is up-regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma and promotes tumor cell proliferation by targeting RND3].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression of microRNA-128a (miR-128a) and its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Nineteen pairs of fresh surgical specimens of HCC and adjacent tissues were examined for miR-128a expression using qRT-PCR. A miR-128a mimics or inhibitor was transfected into HCC cells, and the cell viability was analyzed by MTT assay. RND3, one of the potential targets of miR-128a, was predicted by bioinformatics software and demonstrated by dual luciferase reporter assay. The expression of RND3 after transfection was detected using qRT-PCR and Western blotting, and the cell cycle-related proteins were determined with Western blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression of miR-128a were significantly up-regulated in HCC tissues as compared to the adjacent tissues (P<0.05). In cultured HCC cells, miR-128a promoted the cell proliferation and resulted in down-regulated RND3 mRNA and protein expressions by targeting RND3' 3'UTR (P<0.05) and also in the down-regulation of cyclin B1, cyclin D1 and CDK4 protein expressions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  miR-128a is up-regulated in HCC and promotes HCC cell proliferation by targeting RND3.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.E-mail: 576718933@qq.com.
authors.forename: Xuejun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Chuanhui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Jingyuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Dongyan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Dehua
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival; D015536:Down-Regulation; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D015854:Up-Regulation; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C545189:MIRN128 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C508705:RND3 protein, human; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins