MicroRNA-26b inhibits the tumor growth of human liver cancer through the PI3K/Akt and NF-κB/MMP-9/VEGF pathways.

We investigated the role of microRNA-26b signaling in mediating the tumor growth of human liver cancer. MicroRNA-26b expression was observably downregulated in human liver cancer tissue. Forced upregulation of microRNA-26b had anticancer effects, inhibited cell proliferation, induced apoptosis and promoted Bax and caspase-3/-9 protein expression in a liver cancer cell line as determined by MTT assay, flow cytometry and western blot analysis. MicroRNA-26b significantly suppressed the PI3K/Akt and NF-κB/MMP-9/VEGF pathways. PI3K inhibitor significantly facilitated the effects of microRNA-26b regarding the suppression of the PI3K/Akt pathway, inhibition of cell proliferation, induction of apoptosis and increases in Bax and caspase-3/-9 protein expression in the liver cancer cell line. NF-κB inhibitor also significantly enhanced the effects of microRNA-26b regarding suppression of the NF-κB/MMP-9/VEGF pathway, inhibition of cell proliferation, induction of apoptosis, and promotion of Bax and caspase-3/-9 protein expression in the liver cancer cell line. The present study demonstrated that microRNA-26b inhibits the tumor growth of human liver cancer through the PI3K/Akt and NF-κB/MMP-9/VEGF pathways.