The effects of HBXIP on the biological functions of tongue squamous cell carcinoma cells and correlation with PI3K/Akt

BACKGROUND: Tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is the most malignant oral cancer, having a high mortality rate. METHODS: The effects of hepatitis B X-interacting protein (HBXIP) overexpression on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of TSCC cells were measured by micro-culture tetrazolium assay (MTT) assay, transwell assay and scratch test, respectively, and the effects of HBXIP mRNA overexpression on the protein expression levels of AKT, p-AKT, PI3K, p-PI3K and S100A4 were detected by western blotting. RESULTS: MTT assay showed that there were significantly more proliferating cells than in the experimental group. In the scratch test and transwell assay, the migration rate and the number of invading cells were remarkably greater in the experimental group. The expression levels of p-AKT, p-PI3K and S100A4 were increased in the experimental group after HBXIP overexpression. CONCLUSIONS: HBXIP mRNA overexpression can influence the proliferation, invasion, and migration of TSCC cells and promote their proliferation and migration by increasing the protein expression levels of p-AKT, p-PI3K and S100A4.