Background: The most common malignant tumor of the digestive system is HCC. However, the mechanism and pathogenesis of HCC occurrence and progress are still unknown. LncRNA is closely related to the occurrence and progress of HCC. It is important to investigate the effect and role of lncRNA in HCC.
Materials and Methods: LncRNA microarray assay was used to screen the differential expression profile of lncRNA. SNHG11, miR-184 and GO2 expression was analyzed by RT-PCR. The ability of SNHG11 to serve as a sponge for miRNA and the fact that miR-184 directly targets mRNA were revealed by dual luciferase assay and RIP. Apoptosis and autophagy related proteins were detected by Western blot. Cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and apoptosis were detected by CCK-8 assay, wound healing assay, transwell assay, and flow cytometry.
Results: LncRNA microarray assay and RT-PCR results revealed that the expression of SNHG11 was increased in HCC tumor tissues and also upregulated in HCC cells. SNHG11 had a connection with poor survival rate in HCC. In addition, dual luciferase assay and RIP results revealed that SNHG11 serves as a sponge for miR-184 and miR-184 directly targets AGO2. Pearson correlation analysis showed that SNHG11 with miR-184 and miR-184 with AGO2 were negative correlations, and SNHG11 with AGO2 was a positive correlation. Cell function assay and Western blot showed SNHG4/miR-184/AGO2 regulatory loop was critical for HCC cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and autophagy.
Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that the expression of SNHG11 is higher in HCC; moreover, SNHG11 promotes proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and autophagy by regulating AGO2 via miR-184 in HCC. Our verification of the role of SNHG11 may provide a novel biomarker for the diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis of HCC.
Keywords: hepatocellular cancer, LncRNA SNHG11, apoptosis, biomarker