The present study suggested that miR‑19a could promote VSMC proliferation, migration and invasion via the cyclinD1/CDC25A and MMP/α‑SMA/SM22α signaling pathways.
Interestingly, we found that inhibition of cell cycle progression, either with the CDK1/2 inhibitor CGP74514A or by downregulation of the CDC25A protein phosphatase, restores IR-induced migration and invasion in cells depleted of MRK or Chk2.
High expression of CDC25A was associated with dedifferentiated phenotype and portal vein invasion (P = 0.001 and 0.031, respectively), and expression of CDC25A correlated well with proliferating cell nuclear antigen labeling index (P = 0.005).
CDC25A (+), as well as CDC25B (+), was more frequently found in patients with deeper tumour invasion and lymph node metastasis, while tumour size was correlated only with CDC25A expression.