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Updated: Dec 11, 2025

Mechanism of Kemeng Fang's Inhibition of Podocyte Apoptosis in Rats with Membranous Nephropathy through the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway
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Mechanism of Kemeng Fang's Inhibition of Podocyte Apoptosis in Rats with Membranous Nephropathy through the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway

Published on: August 23, 2024

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Rab11a regulates MMP2 expression by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Zhi-Yun Zhang1, Meng Lu1, Ze-Kun Liu1

  • 1Department of Cell Biology, National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.

Pathology, Research and Practice
|August 23, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Rab11a acts as a novel oncoprotein in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study shows Rab11a promotes HCC growth and metastasis by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway, leading to matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) upregulation.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Rab11a, a Rab GTPase, is implicated in vesicle transport and tumor progression.
  • Its role as an oncoprotein in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of Rab11a as an oncoprotein in HCC.
  • To elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms of Rab11a in HCC progression.

Main Methods:

  • Database and immunohistochemical analyses of HCC tissues.
  • In vitro studies using HCC cell lines (MHCC-97H, HCC-LM3) with Rab11a overexpression and downregulation.
  • In vivo xenograft models in nude mice.
  • Investigation of the PI3K/AKT pathway and MMP2 expression.

Main Results:

  • Rab11a is highly expressed in HCC tissues and correlates with poor prognosis.
  • Rab11a overexpression enhances HCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and anti-apoptosis.
  • Rab11a downregulation inhibits these tumor activities.
  • Rab11a promotes HCC growth in vivo.
  • Rab11a activates the PI3K/AKT pathway, leading to MMP2 upregulation, which can be inhibited by LY294002.

Conclusions:

  • Rab11a functions as a novel oncoprotein in HCC.
  • Rab11a promotes HCC progression by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway to upregulate MMP2 expression.
Keywords:
Hepatocellular carcinomaMMP2PI3K/AKTRab11a

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