Purpose: This study was performed to investigate the effect of miRNA let-7a-5p on the proliferation, invasion, and migration of human hepatoma cells as well as to determine BZW2  expression in these cells.
Methods: Western blotting and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction were used to detect changes in the expression of miRNA let-7a-5p and BZW2 protein and gene, respectively. A luciferase reporter gene assay was used to examine whether BZW2  is the target gene of miR-let-7a-5p. The effect of miR-let-7a-5p on the invasion, migration, and proliferation of human hepatoma Bel-7404 and HepG2 cells was determined using the transwell invasion assay, scratch test, and CCK-8 assay, respectively. Flow cytometry was used to assess the effect of miR-let-7a-5p and BZW2 expression on apoptosis of hepatoma cells.
Results: The luciferase reporter gene assay identified BZW2  as the target gene of miR-let-7a-5p. Moreover, increased expression of miR-let-7a-5p was found to significantly decrease BZW2 expression; inhibit proliferation, invasion, and migration; and promote apoptosis of hepatoma cells.
Conclusion: miR-let-7a-5p can inhibit proliferation, invasion, and migration as well as promote apoptosis of hepatoma cells by decreasing BZW2  expression.
Keywords: liver cancer, cell migration, cell proliferation, apoptosis