MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play key roles in cancer development and progression. In the present study, we investigated the role of miR-145 in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Ten HCC cell lines and samples from 96 patients with HCC were analyzed for the expression of miR-145 by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Overexpression of miR-145 was established by transfecting mimics into HepG2 and QGY-7703 cells. Cell proliferation and cell migration were assessed by cell viability assay and transwell assay. Western blot was to verify ROCK1 as a novel target gene of miR-145. Our results showed that miR-145 was frequently downregulated in HCC tumors and cell lines. Overexpression of miR-145 in HCC cell lines significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. ROCK1 was identified as a target of miR-145, and ectopic expression of miR-145 downregulated ROCK1. Together, these findings indicate that miR-145 acts as a tumor suppressor and its downregulation in tumor tissues may contribute to the progression and metastasis of HCC through a mechanism involving ROCK1, suggesting miR-145 as a potential new diagnostic and therapeutic target for the treatment of HCC.
Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; MiR-145; Migration; Proliferation; ROCK1.