miR-425-5p inhibitor enhances AIFM1 expression in HeLa cells. (A) The relative expression level of miR-425-5p was determined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction in HeLa cells following transfection with miR-425-5p inhibitor and inhibitor control. The (B) mRNA and (C) protein expression level of AIFM1 was analyzed following transfection with AIFM1-siRNA or control-siRNA. The (D) mRNA and (E) protein expression level of AIFM1 was analyzed following transfection with miR-425-5p inhibitor, inhibitor control, miR-425-5p inhibitor + AIFM1-siRNA or miR-425-5p inhibitor + control-siRNA. Data are presented as the mean ± standard deviation. **P<0.01 vs. control group; ##P<0.01 vs. inhibitor group. AIFM1, apoptosis-inducing factor mitochondria-associated 1; miR, microRNA; siRNA, small interfering RNA; control, untransfected HeLa cells; inhibitor control, HeLa cells transfected with inhibitor control; inhibitor, HeLa cells transfected with miR-425-5p inhibitor; control-siRNA, HeLa cells transfected with control siRNA; siRNA, HeLa cells transfected with AIFM1-siRNA; inhibitor + control-siRNA, HeLa cells co-transfected with miR-425-5p inhibitor and control siRNA; inhibitor + siRNA, HeLa cells co-transfected with miR-425-5p inhibitor and AIFM1-siRNA.