title: MicroRNA-361-5p Inhibits Cancer Cell Growth by Targeting CXCR6 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A growing body of evidence supports the notion that MicroRNAs (miRNAs) function as key regulators of tumorigenesis. In the present study, the expression and roles of miRNA-361-5p were explored in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect the expression miR-361-5p in HCC tissues and pair-matched adjacent normal tissues. MTT and BrdU assays were used to identify the role of miR-361-5p in the regulation of proliferation and invasion of HCC cells. Using bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter assays and Western blots were used to identify the molecular target of miR-361-5p. nude mice were used to detect the anti-tumor role of miR-361-5p in vivo.
  
  
  RESULTS
  miR-361-5p was down-regulated in HCC tissues in comparison to adjacent normal tissues, due to hypermethylation at its promoter region. Overexpression of miR-361-5p suppressed proliferation and invasion of HCC cells. Chemokine (C-X-C Motif) receptor 6 (CXCR6) was identified as a target of miR-361-5p. Indeed, knockdown of CXCR6 photocopied, while overexpression of CXCR6 largely attenuated the anti-proliferative effect of miR-361-5p. More importantly, in vivo studies demonstrated that forced expression of miR-361-5p significantly inhibited tumor growth in the nude mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that miR-361-5p acts as a tumor suppressor and might serve as a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of HCC patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Jian-Jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Guo-Yong
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhan-Tao
authors.initials: ZT
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D019175:DNA Methylation; D015536:Down-Regulation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D000075744:Receptors, CXCR6; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000235:genetics*; D011991:Receptors, Virus / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C106330:CXCR6 protein, human; C575475:MIRN361 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D000075744:Receptors, CXCR6; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine; D011991:Receptors, Virus