05). of the down-regulated miR-200a*, and miR-148b* in SP of HCC cells had the fold changes 0.1 ± 0.04, and 0.4 ± 0.08, respectively (P < 0.01). Figure 4 Validation of microarray data using real-time RT-PCR. (A) The levels of miR-21, miR-34c-3p, miR-470*, miR-10b and let-7i* are significantly increased, while the levels of miR-200a*, miR-148b are significantly decreased in the SP of HCC cells compared to the fetal liver cells, according to the results of microarray analysis (gray bar). Real-time RT-PCR analysis of these miRNAs DNA Damage inhibitor using total

RNA isolated from the SP fractions showed similar results (white bar). (B) Real-time analysis revealed that some known target genes of those partially validated miRNAs are also significantly differentially expressed between the SP sorted from the HCC cells and fetal liver cells (* P < 0.05; ** P < 0.01). The levels of target gene mRNA are inversely correlated with associated microRNA expression in SP cells. To further confirm the differentially expressed miRNA, Erastin price some known target genes expression of those validated miRNAs excluded miR-470* and miR-148b were detected in sorted SP cells and compared by using qRT-PCR between fetal liver cell and HCC cells. These target genes were PTEN (miR-21), P53 (miR-34c),

Rho C (miR-10b), RAS (let-7i), and ZEB1 (miR-200a). As shown in Figure 4B, the relative gene expression of PTEN, P53, RhoC and RAS in SP from HCC cells were Olopatadine significantly lower than in fetal liver cells. On the contrary, the relative expression of ZEB1 gene in SP from HCC cells was higher than in fetal liver cells. Respectively, corresponding specific data were 0.78 ± 0.24 vs 0.33 ± 0.18 (PTEN), 1.79 ± 0.36 vs 0.81 ± 0.29 (P53), 1.16 ± 0.44 vs 0.72 ± 0.34 (RhoC), 3.52 ± 1.13 vs 1.62 ± 0.92 (RAS), and 0.27 ± 0.11 vs 0.48 ± 0.13 (ZEB1). These data were indirectly validated the differentially expressing profile of those miRNAs in SP fractions between HCC cells and fetal liver cells. Discussion There is a growing realization that many cancers may harbor a small population of cancer stem cells (CSCs).

These cells not only exhibit stem cell characteristics, but also, importantly, are tumor-initiating cells and are responsible for cellular heterogeneity of cancer due to aberrant differentiation. According to the hierarchical model of cancer, the origin of the cancer stem cells may be long-lived MM-102 somatic stem cells. Therefore, markers of “”normal”" stem cells are being sought with the expectation that these molecules are also expressed by cancer stem cells, and can be used to identify them. In fact, the specific markers of many somatic stem cells, e.g., HSCs, are still unidentified, and it is difficult to screen putative stem cell markers useful for isolation and characterization of liver cancer stem cells.