Mir-452-3p: A Potential Tumor Promoter That Targets the CPEB3/EGFR Axis in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma

PURPOSE: We proposed to investigate the effects of miR-452-3p on the proliferation and mobility of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells by targeting cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding protein 3/estimated glomerular filtration rate (CPEB3/EGFR) axis. METHODS: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect miR-452-3p expression in 84 pairs of HCC tissues and adjacent tissues. Luciferase reporter assay was employed to examine the relationship between miR-452-3p and CPEB3. Microculture tetrazolium (MTT) assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry detection, wound healing assay, and transwell assay were used to detect cell proliferation, cycle arrest, apoptosis, and mobility, respectively, in HCC, HepG2, and Huh-7. Western blot was used to detect protein expression levels in EGFR signaling pathway. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was conducted to analyze the correlation between the miR-452-3p and CPEB3 expression levels and the survival of patients with HCC. RESULTS: MiRNA-452-3p was found significantly upregulated in 84 human HCC sample tissues and cells in comparison with adjacent tissues and normal liver epithelial cells (P < .01). Luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that CPEB3 was a direct target of miR-452-3p. Overexpression of miR-452-3p promoted cell proliferation and mobility and suppressed apoptosis. MiR-452-3p enhanced EGFR and phosphorylated AKT (pAKT) expression but inhibited p21 expression level. CONCLUSION: MiR-452-3p promoted HCC cell proliferation and mobility by directly targeting the CPEB3/EGFR axis.