Fig. 2.

Over-expression of miR-422a inhibits proliferation and tumor growth of CRC cells. a miR-422a expression assessed by real-time PCR in eight CRC cell lines. b Ectopic expression of miR-422a in SW620 and HCT15 CRC cells was validated by real-time PCR. c Cell growth analyzed by MTT assays. d Representative results of colony formation. The numbers of colonies containing > 50 cells were scored. The number of colonies counted was of an entire well and the error bars represent mean ± SD from three independent experiments. e Quantification of the numbers of Ki-67-positive cells (yellow–brown) by immunohistochemical staining. f Anchorage-independent colony-formation assays. Only cell colonies > 0.1 mm in diameter were counted. g SW620-Vector and SW620-miR-422a cells were injected into the hind limbs of nude mice (n = 4). Tumor volumes were measured on the indicated days. Data points of tumor volume are presented as the mean ± SD. h Histopathological analyses of xenograft tumors. The tumor sections were stained with H & E or subjected to IHC staining using an antibody against Ki-67. Error bars represent mean ± SD from three independent experiments