MicroRNA-138 inhibits cell proliferation in hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting Sirt1
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Updated: Feb 27, 2026

An In Vitro Protocol for Evaluating MicroRNA Levels, Functions, and Associated Target Genes in Tumor Cells
Published on: May 21, 2019
1Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, P.R. China.
Abstract:
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a family of small, non‑coding RNA molecules that are highly conserved across species and function as regulators of gene expression. In the present study, we revealed that miR-138 expression was at a low level while sirtuin type 1 (Sirt1) mRNA expression was at high level in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and cell lines by using real-time PCR and western blot assays, and the functions of miR-138 were achieved via targeting of Sirt1 using luciferase reporter gene vector and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. Overexpression of miR-138 attenuated Sirt1 expression and inhibited cell proliferation by using CCK-8 and BrdU assays. The inhibitory effect of miR-138 could be partially restored by forced expression of Sirt1 in cells. Our data revealed a crucial role and mechanism of miR-138 in the regulation of hepatocellular carcinoma cell growth via the miR-138/Sirt1 axis, and miR-138 could be an important potential target for the clinical management of hepatocellular carcinoma in the future.
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