Transcriptional expression of miRNAs under glucose depletion/2-deoxy-d-glucose in HCC: A possible genetic footprints of angiogenesis and its hallmarks

Abstract Background and objective microRNAs (miR or miRNAs) function as onco-enhancers and tumor suppressors. In some cases, they play a dual role in organ-specific/tissue-specific nature. Keeping this in mind, the present study was designed to clarify the role of 18 different miRNAs upon depletion of cellular glucose/pyruvate and glycolysis arrest. The hallmarks of pathological angiogenesis, including proliferation, migration, cell invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were studied by its promoter genes under these conditions. Method and results The qRT-PCR analysis revealed that miRNAs such as miRNA-17*, 18a*, 21, 30c, 30e, 193a, 375, 452, 497, 508-5p, 509-3p, 509-5p, and 510 were upregulated under GD/2DG. Nevertheless, miRNAs such as miRNA-30c, 30e, 215, 375, and 510 were found to be upregulated under GD in Huh-7. On HepG2 cells, GD instigated the miRNAs such as miRNA-17*, 21, 30c, 30e, 192, 195, 196b, 215, 221, 375, 508-5p, 509-3p, 509-5p and 510, significantly. Nonetheless, miRNAs such as miRNA-18a*, 30c, 193-a-3p, 452, and 497 were upregulated under GD/2DG. Conclusion This study acknowledged that the GD/2DG conditions upon nutrient shortage could provoke the upregulation of miRNAs that could facilitate angiogenesis and its hallmarks in HCC.