Abstract

Background Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/c-mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (c-Met) is important for the diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are key regulators of HCC progression, and this study focused on circRNA eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit I (circEIF3I) with HGF/c-Met in HCC. Methods Levels of circEIF3I, microRNA (miR)-526b-5p, HGF, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and Vimentin were detected by Gene Expression Omnibus database, quantitative PCR and western blotting. Cell functions were measured by detecting cell growth (cell proliferation assay with WST-1 and EdU, colony formation assay, flow cytometry, caspase 3 activity assay, and nude mouse tumorigenicity assay), metastasis (transwell assay and western blotting), angiogenesis (endothelial tube formation assay). Molecular interaction was determined dual-luciferase reporter assay, RNA immunoprecipitation, and Pearson correlation analysis. Results Expression of circEIF3I was upregulated in HCC tissues. Knockdown of circEIF3I suppressed cell proliferation epithelial-mesenchymal transition, migration, invasion and tube formation ability but promoted apoptosis of HCC cells. CircEIF3I could sponge miR-526b-5pto regulate downstream HGF. Functionally, circEIF3I regulation in HCC cell progression was associated with miR-526b-5p sponging function and HGF upregulation could attenuate tumor-inhibiting roles of miR-526b-5p. HCC tumor growth was delayed by interfering circEIF3I. Conclusion CircEIF3I was an oncogenic circRNA in HCC-, and interfering circEIF3I exhibited anti-HCC activity via circEIF3I-miR-526b-5p-HGF/c-Met pathway.