Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) CYTOR promotes hepatocellular carcinoma proliferation by targeting the microRNA-125a-5p/LASP1 axis

This study investigated the function of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) cytoskeleton regulator RNA (CYTOR) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In HCC, the expression of CYTOR and microRNA (miR)-125a-5p were measured by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The expression of actin skeletal protein 1 (LASP1) was evaluated by Western blot analysis. Flow cytometry assays, transwell assays, colony formation assay, and cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay were used to evaluate the roles of miR-125a-5p and CYTOR in HCC cells. The target genes of CYTOR and miR-125a-5p were identified by bioinformatics analysis and Luciferase assay. CYTOR was upregulated in HCC cell lines, and knockdown of CYTOR inhibited HCC cell growth. MiR-125a-5p was downregulated in HCC cells and a target of CYTOR in regulating HCC progression. Furthermore, LASP1 was a downstream target of miR-125a-5p. Finally, CYTOR was found to be involved in HCC progression in vivo. CYTOR promotes HCC development by regulating the miR-125a-5p/LASP1 axis.