The mechanism of apoptosis in human U87 glioma cells induced by miR-21 antisense oligonucleotide / 中华医学遗传学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the mechanism of U87 cell apoptosis induced by inhibiting miR-21 expression.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Antisense oligonucleotides of miR-21 were chemically synthesized and transfected into U87 cells. The apoptosis, proliferation, and invasion of the cells were evaluated. The relationship between miR-21 and PTEN or caspase was identified by bioinformatics and Western blot.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Inhibiting miR-21 expression led to U87 cell growth suppression, apoptosis induction, invasion reduction, caspase-3 activity elevation and caspase-9 activation, but did not affect PTEN and caspase-8 expression.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>miR-21 may function as an antiapoptotic miRNA in U87 cells. Inhibiting miR-21 expression could induce U87 cell apoptosis via caspase-9 and 3 activation, but not PTEN activation.</p>