RESUMO
Objective:To investigate the regulatory effect of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) FTX on gastric cancer cell proliferation through miR-22-3p/NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome pathway.Methods:The gastric cancer cell line NCI-N87 were divided into blank control group, si-FTX-NC group, si-FTX group, si-FTX+miR-22-3p inhibitor-NC group and si-FTX+miR-22-3p inhibitor group. Quantitative real-time fluorescent PCR was performed to analyze the expression levels of lncRNA FTX and miR-22-3p, clone formation assay was performed to analyze the proliferation ability of NCI-N87 cells, western blotting was performed to analyze the expressions of NLRP3 inflammasome pathway proteins, and dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to analyze the targeting relationship between lncRNA FTX and miR-22-3p.Results:The relative expressions of lncRNA FTX in the blank control group, si-FTX-NC group, si-FTX group, si-FTX+miR-22-3p inhibitor-NC group and si-FTX+miR-22-3p inhibitor group were 1.03±0.09, 1.01±0.15, 0.42±0.08, 0.45±0.06 and 0.46±0.13 respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( F=52.19, P<0.001). The relative expressions of miR-22-3p were 1.04±0.12, 0.97±0.08, 2.26±0.15, 2.23±0.13 and 1.15±0.11 respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( F=178.53, P<0.001). Compared with the blank control group and si-FTX-NC group, the relative expressions of lncRNA FTX in the si-FTX group, si-FTX+miR-22-3p inhibitor-NC group and si-FTX+miR-22-3p inhibitor group decreased (all P<0.001). Compared with the blank control group, si-FTX-NC group and si-FTX+miR-22-3p inhibitor group, the relative expressions of miR-22-3p in the si-FTX group and si-FTX+miR-22-3p inhibitor-NC group increased (all P<0.001). The clones of the five groups were 115.50±7.25, 112.33±8.46, 54.83±5.17, 56.17±6.32 and 85.67±9.43, with a statistically significant difference ( F=91.67, P<0.001). The levels of NLRP3 protein in the five groups were 1.84±0.17, 1.86±0.12, 0.95±0.09, 0.97±0.11 and 1.28±0.19, with a statistically significant difference ( F=60.62, P<0.001). Compared with the blank control group and si-FTX-NC group, the number of clones and the level of NLRP3 protein of the si-FTX group, si-FTX+miR-22-3p inhibitor-NC group and si-FTX+miR-22-3p inhibitor group decreased (all P<0.05). Compared with the si-FTX+miR-22-3p inhibitor group, the number of clones and the level of NLRP3 protein in the si-FTX group and si-FTX+miR-22-3p inhibitor-NC group decreased (all P<0.05). The dual-luciferase reporter assay found that miR-22-3p was the target gene of lncRNA FTX. Conclusion:Silencing the expression of lncRNA FTX can inhibit the proliferation of gastric cancer cells, and the mechanism may be related to the regulation of lncRNA FTX on the miR-22-3p/NLRP3 inflammasome pathway.