Hsa_circ_0051908 Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression by Regulating the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Process

Abstract

Materials and methods: Hsa_circ_0051908 expression was determined using RT-qPCR. HCC cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and migration were assessed using CCK-8 assay, EdU staining, TUNEL staining, flow cytometry, and transwell assay. The molecular mechanism was analyzed using western blotting. In addition, the role of hsa_circ_0051908 in tumor growth was evaluated in vivo.

Results: Hsa_circ_0051908 expression was increased in both HCC tissues and cell lines. The proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells were significantly decreased after hsa_circ_0051908 knockdown, while cell apoptosis was notably increased. Furthermore, we found that hsa_circ_0051908 silencing downregulated vimentin and Snail and upregulated E-cadherin. In vivo, hsa_circ_0051908 silencing significantly inhibited the growth of the tumor.

Conclusions: Our data provide evidence that hsa_circ_0051908 promotes HCC progression partially by mediating the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process, and it may be used for HCC treatment.