Silence of Rab23 inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Abstract Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), typically developing on a background of chronic liver disease, currently ranks sixth among malignant tumors and the third leading cause of cancer-related death. Rab23 is an oncogene, and function as a tumor promoter. We study the effect and specific mechanism of inhibiting Rab23 expression on HCC cells and tissue. Methods The low expression of Rab23 cell model was constructed via lentivirus transfection. The expression level of Rab23 was detected by western blot and PCR. Flow cytometry analysis reflected the level of apoptosis. A nude HCC xenograft model was designed via the subcutaneous implanting the transfected cells. The protein expression levels of Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) signaling pathway were assessed. Results Compared with the control group, the level of cell proliferation in the shRab23 group was significantly weakened, whereas the tumor cell apoptosis level increased. Moreover, the inhibition of tumor size and proliferation were demonstrated in vivo. Expression levels of SHH-related proteins were both downregulated in vitro and vivo. Conclusion Inhibiting Rab23 gene expression can inhibit HCC cell growth and promote cell apoptosis in vitro and vivo. The specific mechanism may be associated with the inhibition of SHH signaling pathway.