MicroRNA-34a inhibits liver cancer cell growth by reprogramming glucose metabolism

MicroRNAs (miRs) have been proposed as minimally invasive prognostic markers for various types of cancer, including liver cancer, which is one of the most common cancers worldwide. In the present study, the expression of miR‑34a in human liver cancer tissues and cell lines was evaluated and the effects of miR‑34a on cell proliferation, invasion and glycolysis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells were determined. The results indicated that miR‑34a was downregulated in human liver cancer tissues. Overexpression of miR‑34a significantly inhibited liver cancer cell proliferation and clone formation. In terms of the underlying mechanism, miR‑34a was indicated to negatively regulate the expression of lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), which consequently inhibited LDHA‑dependent glucose uptake in the cancer cells, as well as cell proliferation and invasion. Collectively, these data suggest that miR‑34a functions as a negative regulator of glucose metabolism and may serve as a novel marker for liver cancer prognosis.