miR-376a suppresses proliferation and induces apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma

► miR-376a was found frequently down-regulated in HCC cell lines and tissues. ► Over-expression of miR-376a in Huh7 cells inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis. ► p85α (PIK3R1) was identified as a direct and functional target of miR-376a in Huh7 cells. ► Down-regulation of miR-376a may contribute to the development of HCC by targeting p85α. MicroRNAs are known to be involved in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aims to explore the potential biological function of miR-376a, which was found to be inhibited after partial hepatectomy, in HCC. We discovered that miR-376a was frequently down-regulated in HCC cell lines and HCC tissues, while higher relative level of miR-376a was significantly associated with high serum AFP level. Over-expression of miR-376a not only inhibited proliferation but induced apoptosis in Huh7 cells. Additionally, p85α (PIK3R1) was identified as a direct and functional target of miR-376a in Huh7 cells. Moreover, we confirmed that p85α and miR-376a were inversely correlated in HCC. These findings suggest that down-regulation of miR-376a may contribute to the development of HCC by targeting p85α.