Analysis of Differential Expression Profiles of Liver Cancer Cell Proteins After Treatment with Bile Acid

Abstract

The pathogenesis of liver cancer has not been fully elucidated yet. Bile acids are components of bile, which are inorganic substances and regulate tumor progression. However, the differential expression profile of liver cancer cell proteins after bile acid treatment remains unclear. Human hepatoma cell line SMMC7721 was cultured and randomly assigned into control group and bile acid group followed by measuring the protein expression profile by protein fingerprinting. SMMC7721 cells were transfected with UGT2B or UGT2B, followed by analysis of UGT2B expression, cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and PI3K/AKT signaling protein expression. The most obvious proteins with an increased expression after bile acid treatment were UGT2B, AAP, APLP2, LAPTM4B, NCOA4 with UGT2B being the most significant one. Overexpression of UGT2B decreased cell proliferation, promoted cell apoptosis, downregulated migration ability and AKT phosphorylation (P <0.05). UGT2B siRNA transfection significantly down-regulated UGT2B expression, promoted cell proliferation, decreased apoptosis rate, increased migration ability and AKT phosphorylation (P <0.05). In conclusion, bile acid can alter the protein expressions of liver cancer cells, with UGT2B being changed most obviously. UGT2B can affect liver cancer cell behaviors via modulating PI3K/AKT signaling.