Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains the third leading malignancy worldwide, causing high mortality in adults and children. The neuropathology-associated gene AEG-1 functions as a scaffold protein to correctly assemble the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) and optimize or increase its activity. The overexpression of oncogenic miRNAs periodically degrades the target tumor suppressor genes. Oncogenic miR-221 plays a seminal role in the carcinogenesis of HCC. Hence, the exact molecular and biological functions of the oncogene clusters miR-221/AEG-1 axis have not yet been examined widely in HCC. Here, we explored the expression of both miR-221 and AEG-1 and their target/associate genes by qRT-PCR and western blot. In addition, the role of the miR-221/AEG-1 axis was studied in the HCC by flow cytometry analysis. The expression level of the AEG-1 did not change in the miR-221 mimic, and miR-221-transfected HCC cells, on the other hand, decreased the miR-221 expression in AEG-1 siRNA-transfected HCC cells. The miR-221/AEG-1 axis silencing induces apoptosis and G2/M phase arrest and inhibits cellular proliferation and angiogenesis by upregulating p57, p53, RB, and PTEN and downregulating LSF, LC3A, Bcl-2, OPN, MMP9, PI3K, and Akt in HCC cells.
Keywords: HCC; angiogenesis; astrocyte elevated gene-1; cell proliferation; miR-221; regulatory genes.