Effect of long non-coding RNA highly upregulated in liver cancer on the biological behavior of oral squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effect of long non-coding RNA highly upregulated in liver cancer (lncRNA HULC) on the biological behavior of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell lines. Methods: A total of thirty patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma at Peking University Shenzhen Hospital from March 2017 to March 2018 were enrolled in this study. OSCC and adjacent tissues were extracted during tumor extensive resection. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) was used to detect the expression levels of lncRNA HULC in OSCC and paracancerous tissues and OSCC cell lines. SCC15 and SCC25 cells were transfected with siRNA, and the effects of the gene on the biological behavior of OSCC cells were detected by cell counting assay, scratch assay, Transwell assay and Western blotting. Results: The expression of lncRNA HULC in OSCC tissues (10.98±0.31, n=30) was significantly higher than that in paracancerous tissues (8.39±0.31, n=30) (t=5.93, P<0.001), the expression of lncRNA HULC in OSCC cells (SCC15: 28.58±2.74; SCC25: 16.56±0.87; SCC9: 11.18±1.32; CAL27: 13.92±0.99, n=5) was significantly higher than that in human keratinocytes (1.01±0.00, n=5) (t(SCC15)=10.08, t(SCC25)=17.96, t(SCC9)=7.71, t(CAL27)=13.09, P<0.001). Down-regulation of lncRNA HULC in SCC15 and SCC25 cells can inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of tumor cells and promote tumor cell apoptosis. Conclusions: lncRNA HULC is highly expressed in OSCC and can enhance the proliferation, migration and invasion of cancer cells and inhibit tumor cell apoptosis.