miR-143 down-regulates TLR2 expression in hepatoma cells and inhibits hepatoma cell proliferation and invasion.

Hepatoma is a tumor with high degree of malignancy. A number of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes play certain roles in tumorigenesis and progression. Among which, miRNA, as an important class of gene regulators, play important roles in regulating tumorigenesis and development of hepatoma. So know well the unique molecular pathway is very important. Here, we showed that there is a different miR-143 expression patterns in different hepatoma tissues, and that miR-143 expressions contribute disease progress. By contrast, we down-regulated the expression of miR-143 with miR-143 mimics in HepG2 cells resulting in decreased proliferation. And the decreased proliferations of HepG2 cells were due to a G0/G1 arrest of cell cycle. During this progress, the increased apoptosis may be another major cause for decreased proliferation of HepG2 cells. And then, we found miR-143 down-regulation induced decreased mRNA and protein expressions of TLR2 and NF-κB. These results show that HepG2 cells depend to a greater extent on miR-143 for proliferation, and miR-143 down-regulation may induce a cell cycle arrest though TLR and NF-κB pathway. miR-143 blockade may be beneficial in therapy of Hepatoma.