Research Paper Volume 13, Issue 10 pp 14433—14455

Chronic alcohol exposure promotes HCC stemness and metastasis through β-catenin/miR-22-3p/TET2 axis

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Figure 3. Effects of miR-22-3p on stemness and metastasis of HCC cells. (A) Tumorspheres formation ability of HCC cells in control, negative-control, miR-22-3p mimic and inhibitor groups. (B) The tumorspheres were quantified. *P<0.05. (C, D) Population of EPCAM- positive HCC cells in control, negative-control, miR-22-3p mimic and inhibitor groups. *P<0.05. (E, F) Population of CD133- positive HCC cells in control, negative-control, miR-22-3p mimic and inhibitor groups. *P<0.05. (G) The representative images of tumors taken from athymic mice inoculated with SMMC-7721 cells in control, negative-control, miR-22-3p mimic and inhibitor groups are shown. (H) The growth of tumor was calculated. Each group consisted of five mice. *P< 0.05. (I) The tumor weight was quantified. Each group consisted of five mice. *P< 0.05. (J) Representative image showing the migration of HCC cells in control, negative-control, miR-22-3p mimic and inhibitor groups. (K) The migrated cells were quantified. *P< 0.05, n= 3. (L) Representative image showing the invasion of HCC cells in control, negative-control, miR-22-3p mimic and inhibitor groups. (M) The invaded cells were quantified. *P< 0.05, n= 3.