title: Long non-coding RNA XIST regulates PTEN expression by sponging miR-181a and promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression.
abstract: Tumor metastasis often occurs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and influences the patient's prognosis, and microRNAs are reported to play key roles in tumor metastasis. This study was conducted to explore the effect of microRNAs on HCC metastasis.
  
  
  
  The levels of miR-181a in HCC tissues, adjacent tissues, metastatic HCC tissues, and non-metastatic HCC tissues at different stages were determined by qRT-PCR. Effect of miR-181a on the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of HCC cells was estimated by cell counting kits-8 (CCK-8), wound-healing, and Transwell assays. Software analysis and luciferase assays were used to explore the target gene of miR-181a.
  
  
  
  MiR-181a was up-regulated in HCC tissues and its expression level in metastatic HCC tissues was much higher than in non-metastasis samples. PTEN was found to be a target gene of miR-181a. MiR-181a had multiple binding sites with the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) XIST. The regulation of miR-181a on PTEN was mediated by lncRNA XIST. The proliferation and invasion of cells with siXIST were significantly enhanced compared with those of control cells, while knockdown of miR-181a abolished the enhancing effects.
  
  
  
  MiR-181a can promote HCC metastasis by targeting PTEN, which is regulated by lncRNA XIST.
authors.affiliation: Division of Liver Disease, Ji'nan Infectious Disease Hospital, No. 22029 Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, Shandong, 250021, China.
authors.forename: Shuzhen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Healthy Food Laboratory, Shandong Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ji'nan, Shandong, 250101, China.
authors.forename: Binhe
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Division of Liver Disease, Ji'nan Infectious Disease Hospital, No. 22029 Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, Shandong, 250021, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Division of Liver Disease, Ji'nan Infectious Disease Hospital, No. 22029 Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, Shandong, 250021, China.
authors.forename: Keqin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Division of Liver Disease, Ji'nan Infectious Disease Hospital, No. 22029 Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, Shandong, 250021, China. sunyq1018@sina.com.
authors.forename: Yuqiu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018450:Disease Progression; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: C540193:MIrn181 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding; C077885:XIST non-coding RNA; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; C494929:PTEN protein, human
keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); Metastasis; MicroRNA-181a; PTEN; XIST