MicroRNA-7 downregulates the oncogene VDAC1 to influence hepatocellular carcinoma proliferation and metastasis

Recent studies have been shown that voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1) plays an important role in carcinogenesis. However, its molecular biological function in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been entirely clarified. This study investigated the expression of VDAC1 in HCC and its prognostic value for HCC patients. Furthermore, we also identify the relevant VDAC1 direct target. Western blot, real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR), and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining were performed to detect the expression of VDAC1 in HCC. Furthermore, the relationship between the VDAC1 level and clinicopathological features and prognostic values was explored. The effects of VDAC1 on HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were also investigated in vitro. Predicted target gene of VDAC1 was determined by dual-luciferase reporter assay, qRT-PCR, and Western blot analyses. Our results revealed elevated VDAC1 messenger RNA (mRNA) ( P = 0.0020) and protein ( P = 0.0035) expression in tumor tissue samples compared with paired adjacent non-tumorous tissue samples. High VDAC1 expression was correlated with distant metastasis ( P = 0.025), differentiation ( P = 0.002), and advanced tumor stage ( P = 0.004) in HCC patients. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that high expression of VDAC1 was significantly correlated with a poor prognosis for HCC patients ( P