RETRACTED: Circular RNA-0072309 has antitumor influences in Hep3B cell line by targeting microRNA-665 (Retracted Article)

Liver cancer is a malignant tumor that occurs in the liver and has a high mortality rate. We strived to detect the role and mechanism of circRNA-0072309 in liver cancer. Hep3B cell line was transfected with pc-circ and si-circ for viability, colony formation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion tests, which were individually performed by CCK-8, colony formation detection, flow cytometry assay, migration and invasion assays. What is more, the luciferase reporter assay was conducted to determine the target relationship between the circRNA-0072309 and microRNA (miR)-665. The expression of circRNA-0072309 was examined by qRT-PCR. The expression of proteins was examined via western blot. CircRNA-0072309 was lowly expressed in liver cancer tissues and positively associated with 5-year survival rate. The viability, colony formation, invasive and migratory ability were inhibited by abundant circRNA-0072309, which promoted cell apoptosis on the contrary. CircRNA-0072309 knockdown induced opposite effects, but could not affect apoptosis. Overexpressed miR-665 in tumor tissues was targeted and negatively controlled by circRNA-0072309. The PI3K/AKT and Wnt/beta-catenin pathways were inhibited by abundant circRNA-0072309. miR-665 overexpression disturbed those effects derived from pc-circ. The circRNA-0072309 had antitumor influences in Hep3B cell line through targeting miR-665 relying on the deactivation of PI3K/AKT and Wnt/beta-catenin pathways.