Research Article

The DNMT1/miR-34a/FOXM1 Axis Contributes to Stemness of Liver Cancer Cells

Figure 1

Stemness comparison between MHCC97H cells and LCSCs. (a) and (b) DNMT1 activities and mRNA amounts, respectively, in MHCC97H cells and LCSCs. (c) miR-34a-5p levels in MHCC97H cells and LCSCs. (d) miR-34a promoter methylation levels in MHCC97H cells and LCSCs. ((e) and (f)) Representative images of spheres and colonies (left) (scale bar, 200 μm); sphere formation efficiencies and colony formation rates (right) in MHCC97H cells and LCSCs. (g) CD133 expression levels in MHCC97H cells and LCSCs. (h) CD44 protein amounts in MHCC97H cells and LCSCs. (i) Bmi1, Sox2, and Oct4 mRNA amounts in MHCC97H cells and LCSCs. vs. MHCC97H cells (n = 3). (j) In vivo carcinogenicity in MHCC97H cell and LCSC xenograft models in nude mice, including lesion size (i), weight (ii), and histology and expression of the CD133 and CD44 proteins (iii). vs. MHCC97H cells (n = 6).