Silencing glioma‑associated oncogene homolog 1 suppresses the migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma <em>in&nbsp;vitro</em>

Hu,Zeming; Xie,Fangfang; Hu,Ang; Xu,Mengjing; Liu,Yuwen; Zhang,Jiankang; Xiao,Jianbo; Song,Yunlei; Zhong,Jianing; Chen,Bin

doi:10.3892/ol.2020.12091

Silencing glioma‑associated oncogene homolog 1 suppresses the migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro

Authors:
- Zeming Hu
- Fangfang Xie
- Ang Hu
- Mengjing Xu
- Yuwen Liu
- Jiankang Zhang
- Jianbo Xiao
- Yunlei Song
- Jianing Zhong
- Bin Chen
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Affiliations: Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi 341000, P.R. China, Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi 341000, P.R. China
Published online on: September 11, 2020 https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2020.12091
Article Number: 228
Copyright: © Hu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth most common cause of cancer‑associated death worldwide. Glioma‑associated oncogene homolog 1 (Gli1) is a key component and functions as a reliable marker of Hedgehog signaling pathway activation. Previous studies have demonstrated that Gli1 serves important roles in the progression of various types of cancer, including HCC. However, its effect on HCC invasion and metastasis and the underlying mechanism remain to be elucidated. Small interference RNA was employed to silence the Gli1 gene in liver cancer cells. Reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR and western blot analysis were performed to evaluate the mRNA and protein expression of Gli1, respectively. A series of assays, including Cell Counting Kit‑8, adhesion, wound healing and Matrigel invasion were performed to investigate cell viability, adhesive, migratory and invasive capabilities of liver cancer cells, respectively. In addition, immunofluorescence staining was performed to determine the cellular localization of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), phosphorylated (p‑)FAK and p‑AKT. The mRNA and protein expression of Gli1 in liver cancer cells (HepG2 and SK‑Hep1) were markedly decreased in a dose‑dependent manner following Gli1‑knockdown. Gli1 silencing significantly inhibited the adhesion, migration and invasion of SK‑Hep1 cells. Additionally, knockdown of Gli1 markedly suppressed the expression of metalloproteinase (MMP)‑2 and MMP‑9. Furthermore, downregulation of Gli1 blocked the FAK/AKT signaling pathway. Gli1 serves significant roles in the migration and invasion of HCC cells through activation of the FAK/AKT signaling pathway and subsequent upregulation of MMP‑2 and MMP‑9 expression. Thus, Gli1 may be a potential protein target for the regulation of HCC migration and invasion.

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