Oncogenic tuftelin 1 as a potential molecular-targeted for inhibiting hepatocellular carcinoma growth

BACKGROUND

Abnormal tuftelin 1 (TUFT1) has been reported in multiple cancers and exhibits oncogenic roles in tumor progression. However, limited data are available on the relationship between TUFT1 and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and the exact biological mechanism of TUFT1 is still poorly understood in HCC.

AIM

To investigate TUFT1 expression in HCC and how interfering TUFT1 transcription affects HCC growth.

METHODS

TUFT1 in HCC and non-HCC tissues based on databases of the Cancer Genome Atlas and Oncomine were analyzed, and TUFT1 in human HCC tissues on microarray were detected by immunohistochemistry for clinicopathological features, overall survival, and disease-free survival. HCC cells were transfected with constructed vectors of TUFT1 that interfere or over-express TUFT1 for analyzing the biological behaviors of HCC cells. Proliferation, invasion, migration, and apoptosis of cells were detected by cell counting kit-8, scratch assay, transwell tests, and flow cytometry and confirmed by Western blotting, respectively.

RESULTS

Abnormal TUFT1 levels in databases expressed in HCC at messenger RNA (mRNA) level and HCC tissues were mainly located in cytoplasm and membrane. The level of TUFT1 expression in the HCC group was significantly higher (χ² = 18.563, P < 0.001) than that in the non-cancerous group, closely related to clinical staging, size, vascular invasion of tumor, hepatitis B e-antigen positive, and ascites (P < 0.01) of HCC patients, and negatively to HCC patients’ overall survival and disease-free survival (P < 0.001). After interfering with TUFT1 transcription at mRNA level in the MHCC-97H cells by the specific TUFT1-short hairpin RNA, cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis were significantly inhibited with increasing apoptosis rate. In contrast, proliferation, invasion, and migration were significantly enhanced after over-expression of TUFT1 mRNA in Hep3B cells in vitro.

CONCLUSION

Oncogenic TUFT1 was associated with the progression of HCC and could be a potential molecular-target for inhibiting HCC growth.

[Effect of TUTF1 expression on the proliferation, apoptosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells]

Objective: To study the relationship between the expressions of tuftelin 1 (TUFT1) and the clinicopathological features of hepatocellular carcinoma and its effect on proliferation and apoptosis, and to explore the relationship between TUFT1 with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of TUFT1 in 98 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma and 30 cases of adjacent normal tissues. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression of TUFT1 in HCC cell line. The expression of TUFT1 in SMMC-7221 cell lines was down-regulated by lentiviral vector. Cell proliferation assay, clonogenic assay, cell apoptosis assay and cell cycle assay were used to detect proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle changes of hepatocarcinoma cells after TUFT1-down-regulation. Statistics were performed using the χ2 test and the t-test. Results: Among the 98 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma, 65 cases (66.33%) were positive for TUFT1, and in 30 cases of adjacent normal tissues, 6 cases (16.67%) were positive for TUFT1, and the difference was statistically significant (χ (2) = 19.956, P < 0.05). The expression of TUFT1 in HCC tissues was related to tumor size, tumor stage, recurrence and metastasis (χ(2) = 6.214, 8.066, 14.400, P < 0.05). After lentiviral vector mediated downregulation of TUFT1 expression in SMMC -7221 cells, the cell proliferation rate [(18.62% ± 0.15%) vs. (67.91% ± 0.62%), P < 0.05], clonality [(8.10% ± 0.80%) vs. (50.80% ± 1.60%), P < 0.05] and G1 phase cells [(36.71% ± 0.69%) vs. (44.65% ± 0.73%), P < 0.05] were significantly decreased, whereas the G2 phase cells [ (15.44% ± 0.53%) vs. (22.31% ± 0.20%), P < 0.05] and the rate of apoptosis [(3.45% ± 0.18%) vs. (5.45% ± 0.06%), P < 0.05] was significantly increased compared with the control group of HCC cells, and the differences were statistically significant. Conclusion: The expression of TUFT1 is highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues. Furthermore, the expression of TUFT1 promotes HCC cell proliferation, inhibits the apoptosis, and is poor prognostic factor of hepatocellular carcinoma.