Downregulation of HNRNPM inhibits cell proliferation and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma through MAPK/AKT signaling pathway

BACKGROUND: HNRNPM is reported to be involved in multiple malignancies, while the prognostic and biological role of HNRNPM in hepatocellular carcinoma remains still unknown. METHODS: Public databases and tissue microarrays were employed to identify the expression pattern and prognostic value of HNRNPM in hepatocellular carcinoma. CCK8, cell migration assays and western blot were taken advantage of to discover the biological role of HNRNPM in hepatocellular carcinoma. Western blot and bioinformatics analysis were used to reveal the potential signaling pathways of HNRNPM in hepatocellular carcinoma. RESULTS: High expression of HNRNPM was proved to be a poor independent prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) of hepatocellular carcinoma patients. Tissue microarrays and immunohistochemistry showed that HNRNPM protein level was upregulated in pancreatic cancer tissues compared with normal pancreas. Knockdown of HNRNPM suppressed significantly the capacities of proliferation and migration and alter epithelial mesenchymal transition of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Downregulation of HNRNPM resulted in inhibition of the MAPK/AKT signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma. Bioinformatics implied that HNRNPM might be a component of spliceosome to participate in hepatocellular carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: This paper identified high expression of HNRNPM was a poor independent prognostic factor for OS of hepatocellular carcinoma and could participate in proliferation and migration through MAPK/AKT signaling pathways.