Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Excessive miR-30a-5p increases the radiosensitivity of hepatoma cells by inhibiting GRP78

Rongyao Xiao¹, Fangzhi Zhou², Shuang Gui³

¹Department of Surgical Oncology, Wenzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325000; ²Department of Surgery, Wenzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325000; ³Department of Radiology, Chongqing Qianjiang Central Hospital, Chongqing 409000, China.

For correspondence:- Shuang Gui Email: guishuang666@163.com Tel:+862379225106

Accepted: 11 February 2022 Published: 31 March 2022

Citation: Xiao R, Zhou F, Gui S. Excessive miR-30a-5p increases the radiosensitivity of hepatoma cells by inhibiting GRP78. Trop J Pharm Res 2022; 21(3):501-506 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v21i3.7

© 2022 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To determine the effect of miR-30a-5p on hepatoma cell radiosensitivity and elucidate the underlying mechanism.

Methods: Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to measure miR-30a-5p expression in HepG2 and THLE-3 cells. After 4-Gy X-ray irradiation or miR-30a-5p mimic transfection, the miR-30a-5p level in HepG2 cells was determined using qRT-PCR. Luciferase reporter assay was used to confirm the correlation between miR-30a-5p and glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) levels, while the effects of miR-30a-5p on the viability of HepG2 cells were determined using clone formation and 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo (-z-y1)-3,5-di-phenytetrazoliumromide (MTT) assays. Apoptotic cells were evaluated by flow cytometry whereas the protein levels of GRP78, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), BCL2-Associated X Protein (Bax), and cleaved-caspase-9 were quantified by immunoblotting.

Results: MicroRNA-30a-5p expression was decreased in HepG2 cells but reduced after 4-Gy x-ray treatment, while miR-30a-5p mimic transfection upregulated miR-30a-5p expression (p < 0.05). Cell viability was inhibited after x-ray irradiation or miR-30a-5p mimic transfection and further inhibited by irradiation + miR-30a-5p (p < 0.05). Irradiation or miR-30a-5p transfection triggered cell apoptosis; however, irradiation + miR-30a-5p induced more apoptosis, upregulated Bax and cleaved-caspase-9 expression, and reduced Bcl-2 expression (p < 0.05). MicroRNA-30a-5p also suppressed GRP78 expression.

Conclusion: MicroRNA-30a-5p may enhance HCC x-ray radiosensitivity by inhibiting GRP78., and may be useful in developing treatment strategies for HCC patients.

Keywords: Liver cancer, MicroRNA-30a-5p, Glucose-regulated protein 78, Radiosensitivity