[Retracted] Effect of CCL2 siRNA on proliferation and apoptosis in the U251 human glioma cell line.

Following the publication of this paper, it was drawn to the Editor's attention by a concerned reader that the VEGF western blotting data shown in Fig. 4A on p. 3392 were strikingly similar to data appearing in different form in other articles written by different authors at different research institutes.  Owing to the fact that the contentious data in the above article had already been published elsewhere prior to its submission to Molecular Medicine Reports, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal. The authors were asked for an explanation to account for these concerns, but the Editorial Office never received a reply.The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [Molecular Medicine Reports 16: 3387­3394, 2017; DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2017.6995].

Socioeconomic Status Impacts the Prognosis of Chronic Rhinosinusitis Treated by Endoscopic Sinus Surgery: An Observational Cohort Study in Northeast China.

Objective: To explore the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and postoperative outcomes in patients with chronic sinusitis (CRS) after functional endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). Methods: We conducted an observational cohort study of 1,047 patients with CRS undergoing ESS. Discharged patients were followed up to 72 weeks for all-cause recurrence events. Baseline SES was established based on occupation, education level, and family income of the patients 1 year before the operation. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the recovery rate after ESS, and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between SES and prognosis. Results: Patients of middle SES had lower unadjusted all-cause recurrence than those of low or high SES; 24-week overall recovery rate was 90.4% [95 % confidence interval ( CI): 89.6%-91.2%] in patients of middle SES, 13.5% (95 % CI: 12.8%-14.2%) in patients of low SES, and 31.7% (95 % CI: 30.7%-32.7%) in patients of high SES (both log-rank P < 0.001). After adjustment for covariates, hazard ratios ( HRs) were 7.69 (95 % CI: 6.17-9.71, P trend < 0.001) for all-cause recurrence for low SES versus middle SES, and 6.19 (95 % CI: 4.78-7.93, P trend < 0.001) for middle SES versus high SES. Conclusion: Low SES and high SES were more associated with the worse prognosis of CRS patients after ESS than middle SES.

Comprehensive characterization of TGFB1 across hematological malignancies.

TGFB1, which encodes TGF-ß1, a potent cytokine regulating varies cellular processes including immune responses. TGF-ß1 plays context-dependent roles in cancers and is increasingly recognized as a therapeutic target to enhance immunotherapy responses. We comprehensively evaluated expression of TGFB1 and its clinical and biological effects across hematological malignancies. TGFB1 expression was first explored using data from the GTEx, CCLE, and TCGA databases. The expression and clinical significances of TGFB1 in hematological malignancies were analyzed using Hemap and our In Silico curated datasets. We also analyzed the relationship between TGFB1 with immune scores and immune cell infiltrations in Hemap. We further assessed the value of TGFB1 in predicting immunotherapy response using TIDE and real-world immunotherapy datasets. TGFB1 showed a hematologic-tissue-specific expression pattern both across normal tissues and cancer types. TGFB1 expression were broadly dysregulated in blood cancers and generally associated with adverse prognosis. TGFB1 expression were associated with distinct TME properties among different blood cancer types. In addition, TGFB1 expression was found to be a useful marker in predicting immunotherapy responses. Our results suggest that TGFB1 is broadly dysregulated in hematological malignancies. TGFB1 might regulate the immune microenvironment in a cancer-type-specific manner, which could be applied in the development of new targeted drugs for immunotherapy.

Effects of single-use alfentanil versus propofol on cognitive functions after colonoscopy: A randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: Colonoscopy is often accompanied by short-term postoperative cognitive decline. We aimed to explore whether single-use alfentanil for patients undergoing elective colonoscopy could reduce cognitive impairment at discharge compared with propofol. Patients and methods: 172 adult patients undergoing elective colonoscopy were randomized to receive intravenous propofol at 2 mg/kg (group P) or alfentanil at 10 µg/kg (group A); 40 healthy volunteers were included in the blank group. Cognitive function was considered the primary outcome and was measured using five neuropsychological tests before sedation and discharge. The z-score method was used to determine cognitive dysfunction according to z-score >1.96 in two types of neuropsychological tests. Other outcomes included discharge time, vital signs, associated adverse events during colonoscopy, and the satisfaction level of patients and endoscopic physicians. Results: 164 patients (78 in group A and 86 in group P) completed the study protocol. At discharge, the incidence of cognitive dysfunction in group P was 23% and was significantly lower in the alfentanil group (2.5%), with a relative risk of 0.11 (95% confidence interval: 0.03-0.46, P < 0.001). The incidence of hypotension in group A was lower than that in group P (3.8% vs 22.1%, relative risk = 0.17 [95% confidence interval: 0.05-0.46, P = 0.001]), and the discharge time in group A was shorter than that in group P (5 [(Rutter and et al., 2016; Zhang and et al., 2013; Hirsh and et al., 2006; Zhou and et al., 2021; Singh and et al., 2008; Ko and et al., 2010; Sargin et al., 2019) 3-93-9 vs 13 [(Ekmekci and et al., 2017; Eberl and et al., 2012; Eberl and et al., 2014; N'Kaoua and et al., 2002; Chung et al., 1995; Berger and et al., 2019; Quan and et al., 2019; Deng and et al., 2021; Gualtieri and Johnson, 2006) 10-1810-18 min, P < 0.001). Conclusion: For patients undergoing colonoscopy, single-use alfentanil causes less damage to postoperative cognitive function, less risk of hypotension, and shorter discharge time than propofol.

Diagnostic and therapeutic strategies of acute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis.

Acute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis (AIFR) is a rare disease, but the prognosis is by no means ideal. Pathologically, fungal infection is not only located in the sinus cavity, but also invades the sinus mucosa and bone wall, the surrounding structures and tissues such as the orbit and anterior skull base are often compromised and are accompanied with intracranial and extracranial complications. Despite decades of efforts, acute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis remains a devastating disease, the mortality of the disease continues to hover around 50%. The main impediments to improving the prognosis of acute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis are the difficulties of early diagnosis and the rapid reversal of immune insufficiency. Moreover, aggressive surgery combined with systemic antifungal therapy are significant positive prognostic factors as well. Progress and standardization of AIFR treatment protocols have been limited by the scarcity of the disease and the absence of published randomized studies. Therewith, how to improve the therapeutic outcome and reduce the mortality rate has always been a challenging clinical discussion. We have summarized the relevant case series and literature from the recent years, management with optimal diagnostic and curative strategies are reviewed.

Role of daytime variation in pharmaceutical effects of sufentanil, dezocine, and tramadol: A matched observational study.

The role of daytime variation in the comprehensive pharmaceutical effects of commonly used opioid analgesics in clinical setting remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the differences in daytime variation among elective surgery patients who were scheduled to receive preemptive analgesia with equivalent doses of sufentanil, dezocine, and tramadol in the morning and afternoon. The analgesic effect was assessed by changes in the pressure pain threshold before and after intravenous administration of sufentanil, dezocine, and tramadol. Respiratory effects were evaluated using pulse oximetry, electrical impedance tomography, and arterial blood gas analysis. Other side effects, including nausea, sedation, and dizziness, were also recorded, and blood concentration was measured. The results showed that the analgesic effects of sufentanil, dezocine, and tramadol were significantly better in the morning than in afternoon. In the afternoon, sufentanil had a stronger sedative effect, whereas dezocine had a stronger inhibitory respiratory effect. The incidence of nausea was higher in the morning with tramadol. Additionally, significant differences in different side effects were observed among three opioids. Our results suggest that the clinical use of these three opioids necessitates the formulation of individualized treatment plans, accounting for different administration times, to achieve maximum analgesic effect with minimal side effects.

The Role of Survivin and Transcription Factor FOXP1 in Scarring After Glaucoma Surgery.

PURPOSE: This study aims to elucidate the role and mechanism of survivin and FOXP1 in scarring after glaucoma surgery and to evaluate the prevention and treatment of excessive wound healing and scar formation in an in vitro model of glaucoma filtration surgery. METHODS: Human Tenon's capsule fibroblasts (HTFs) were used with TGF-ß to establish an in vitro cell model after glaucoma, observe survivin expression in the cell model, and observe HTFs proliferation after treatment with survivin inhibitor YM155 and the expression of α-SMA and collagen type I. In addition, the effects of survivin and cell proliferation in HTFs after knockdown of FOXP1 were observed by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Survivin was upregulated in HTFs after glaucoma surgery, and it could promote the cell proliferation of HTFs. After treatment with its inhibitor YM155, the cell proliferation of HTFs was inhibited, and the expression of α-SMA and collagen type I were decreased. The results showed that in knockdown of FOXP1, the expression of survivin was downregulated, and the cell proliferation of HTFs was significantly reduced. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that targeting survivin with an inhibitory YM155 reduced fibrosis and the extracellular matrix (ECM), and it was regulated by the FOXP1 transcription factor. These results suggest that survivin could be a potential target for treating scar formation after glaucoma surgery. TRANSLATIONAL RELEVANCE: Together with the results from previous survivin and FOXP1 preclinical studies, these data support the evaluation of this gene therapy candidate in clinical trials as a potential durable treatment for antiscarring of glaucoma surgery.

Survival analysis of 8785 malignant lymphoma cases in the oral and nasal cavities in the USA: a cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the factors associated with the survival of malignant Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas in oral and nasal cavities.Study design. Retrospective cohort survival analysis. METHODS: The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results 18 database was used to analyse the factors associated with the 5-year survival rate of malignant lymphomas diagnosed in the oral cavity and pharynx (OCP) and nasal cavity and sinus (NCS) regions from 1988 to 2011 for all patients in the USA. Multivariable Cox regression models were used to calculate the HR of malignant lymphoma death overall and by the site of cancer diagnosis. RESULTS: Among the 8785 patients included in the analysis, 4103 (46.7%) were women, 6096 (69.4%) were non-Hispanic (NH) white, 635 (7.2%) were NH black and 1209 (13.8%) were Hispanic patients of all races. We found that a higher 5-year survival rate of malignant lymphoma is associated with: female gender; younger age at diagnosis; NH white race/ethnicity; diagnosis in the oral cavity; receiving surgery/radiation and surgery/radiation, surgery and chemotherapy as the treatment; diagnosis at a localised stage and diagnosis in later calendar years. No association with lymphoma subtype was observed. CONCLUSION: We have identified several demographics and prognosis factors associated with the 5-year survival rate of malignant lymphomas in the OCP and NCS regions. These findings warrant greater public health attention on the prognosis of malignant lymphomas in the OCP and NCS regions among the most vulnerable populations.

Neuritin improves the neurological functional recovery after experimental intracerebral hemorrhage in mice.

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) being the most lethal subtype. Neuritin (Nrn) is a neurotropic factor that has been reported to have neuroprotective effects in acute brain and spinal cord injury. However, whether Nrn has a protective role in ICH has not been investigated. In this study, ICH was induced in C57BL/6 J mice by injection of collagenase VII, while the overexpression of Nrn in the striatum was induced by an adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9) vector. We found that compared with GFP-ICH mice, Nrn-ICH mice showed improved performance in the corner, cylinder and forelimb tests after ICH, and showed less weight loss and more rapid weight recovery. Overexpression of Nrn reduced brain lesions, edema, neuronal death and white matter and synaptic integrity dysfunction caused by ICH. Western blot results showed that phosphorylated PERK and ATF4 were significantly inhibited, while phosphorylation of Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin was increased in the Nrn-ICH group, compared with the GFP-ICH group. Whole cell recording from motor neurons indicated that overexpression of Nrn reversed the decrease of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) and action potential frequencies induced by ICH. These data show that Nrn improves neurological deficits in mice with ICH by reducing brain lesions and edema, inhibiting neuronal death, and possibly by increasing neuronal connections.

Long Noncoding RNA 00472: A Novel Biomarker in Human Diseases.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in human diseases. They control gene expression levels and influence various biological processes through multiple mechanisms. Functional abnormalities in lncRNAs are strongly associated with occurrence and development of various diseases. LINC00472, which is located on chromosome 6q13, is involved in several human diseases, particularly cancers of the breast, lung, liver, osteosarcoma, bladder, colorectal, ovarian, pancreatic and stomach. Importantly, LINC00472 can be used as a biomarker for breast cancer cell sensitivity to chemotherapeutic regimens, including doxorubicin. LINC00472 is regulated by microRNAs and several signaling pathways. However, the significance of LINC00472 in human diseases has not been clearly established. In this review, we elucidate on the significance of LINC00472 in various human diseases, indicating that LINC00472 may be a diagnostic, prognostic as well as therapeutic target for these diseases.

Otolaryngology during COVID-19: Preventive care and precautionary measures.

Since the outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in December 2019, it has spread to various regions and countries, forming a global pandemic. Reducing nosocomial infection is a new issue and challenge for all healthcare systems. Otolaryngology is a high-risk specialty as it close contact with upper respiratory tract mucous, secretions, droplets and aerosols during procedures and surgery. Therefore, infection prevention and control measures for this specialty are essential. Literatures on the epidemiology, clinical characteristics and infection control measures of COVID-19 were reviewed, practical knowledge from first-line otolaryngologists in China, the United States, and Brazil were reviewed and collated. It was recommended that otolaryngology professionals should improve screening in suspected patients with relevant nasal and pharyngeal symptoms and signs, suspend non-emergency consultations and examinations in clinics, and rearrange the working procedures in operating rooms. The guidelines of personal protective equipment for swab sampling, endoscopy and surgery were listed. Indications for tracheotomy during the pandemic should be carefully considered to avoid unnecessary airway opening and aerosol-generation; precautions during surgery to reduce the risk of exposure and infection were illustrated. This review aimed to provide recommendations for otolaryngologists to enhance personal protection against COVID-19 and reduce the risk of nosocomial infection.

miR-552 promotes laryngocarcinoma cells proliferation and metastasis by targeting p53 pathway.

Numerous researches show that MicroRNAs (miRNAs) participate in tumorigenesis, progression, recurrence and drug resistance of malignant tumors, including laryngocarcinoma. miR-552 works as an oncogene in both colorectal cancer and liver cancer. However, the potential role of miR-552 in laryngocarcinoma is unknown. Herein, we for first found that miR-552 expression was upregulated in laryngocarcinoma tissues compared with their normal controls. Moreover, miR-552 expression was also increasing in the laryngocarcinoma cells. miR-552 interference inhibited the proliferation and metastasis of laryngocarcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanically, bioinformatics and luciferase reporter analysis identified p53 as a direct target of miR-552. miR-552 knockdown upregulated the p53 mRNA and protein expression in laryngocarcinoma cells. miR-552 expression was negatively associated with p53 expression in laryngocarcinoma tissues. More importantly, the p53 siRNA or p53 overexpression virus abrogated the discrepancy of growth and metastasis capacity between miR-552 interference laryngocarcinoma cells and control cells.

Human Neutrophil Elastase Activated Fluorescent Probe for Pulmonary Diseases Based on Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Using CdSe/ZnS Quantum Dots.

There is an increasing demand for effective noninvasive diagnosis against common pulmonary diseases, which are rising sharply due to the serious air pollution. Human neutrophil elastase (HNE), a typical protease highly involved in pulmonary inflammatory diseases and lung cancer, is a potential predictor for disease progression. Currently, few of the HNE-targeting probes are applicable in vivo due to the limitation in sensitivity and biocompatibility. Herein, we reported the achievement of in vitro detection and in vivo imaging of HNE by incorporating the HNE-specific peptide substrate, quantum dots (QDs), and organic dyes into the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) system. The refined nanoprobe, termed QDP, could specifically measure the HNE with excellent sensitivity of 7.15 pM in aqueous solution and successfully image the endogenous and exogenous HNE in living cells. In addition, this nanoprobe enabled HNE imaging in mouse models of lung cancer and acute lung injury, and the HNE activity at high temporal and spatial resolution was continuously monitored. Most importantly, QDP successfully discriminated the serums of patients with lung diseases from those of the healthy controls based on the HNE activity determination. Overall, this study demonstrates the advantages of a FRET-system-based nanoprobe in imaging performance and provides an applicable tool for in vivo HNE detection and pulmonary disease diagnosis.

Laser-Assisted Nanowetting: Selective Fabrication of Polymer/Gold Nanorod Arrays Using Anodic Aluminum Oxide Templates.

1D polymer nanomaterials have attracted significant interest in recent years because of their unique properties and promising applications in various fields. It is, however, still a challenge to fabricate polymer nanoarrays with desired sizes and controlled morphologies. Here, an unprecedented approach, the laser-assisted nanowetting (LAN) method, to selectively fabricate polymer nanoarrays is presented. Polystyrene (PS) is blended with gold nanorods (AuNRs), which are used to absorb the energy from the laser. After the blend films are brought in contact with AAO templates, the AuNRs at regions shone by the laser beams absorb the energy and heat the surrounding polymer chains, resulting in the formation of PS/AuNRs arrays in selected areas. This work paves a new research direction for developing template-based polymer nanomaterials.

Inhibition of Proliferation by Knockdown of Transmembrane (TMEM) 168 in Glioblastoma Cells via Suppression of Wnt/ß-Catenin Pathway.

Human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) accounts for the majority of human brain gliomas. Several TMEM proteins, such as TMEM 45A, TMEM 97, and TMEM 140, are implicated in human brain gliomas. However, the roles of TMEM168 in human GBM remain poorly understood. Herein we found that mRNA levels of TMEM168 were overexpressed in GBM patients (n = 85) when compared with healthy people (n = 10), which was also supported by data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Kaplan-Meier analysis of Gene Expression Omnibus dataset GSE16011 suggested that enhanced TMEM168 expression was associated with shorter survival time. To investigate whether and how TMEM168 functioned in the tumorigenesis of human GBM cells, two human GBM cell lines (U87 and U373) were used for study. Lithium chloride (LiCl), an activator for Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, was used for the treatment. Our data suggested that siRNA-TMEM168 (siTMEM168) prevented viability of U87 and U373 cells, induced cell cycle arrest (G0/G1 phase) and promoted apoptosis, and the mechanisms involved in blocking Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, as evidenced by reducing expression of ß-catenin, C-myc, cyclin D1, and survivin. Furthermore, the inhibited effect of siTMEM168 on human GBM cell growth was significantly alleviated with additional LiCl treatment, substantiating the involvement of the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway in this process. In summary, our data demonstrated that TMEM168 may represent a therapeutic target for the treatment of human GBM.

MicroRNA-562 negatively regulated c-MET/AKT pathway in the growth of glioblastoma cells.

BACKGROUND: MicroRNA-562 (miR-562) has been found to possess anti-cancer function in certain tumors. However, the function of miR-562 in glioblastoma (GBM) is still not fully understood. PURPOSE: The aim at present study is to analyze the function of miR-562 and its possible target in GBM cells. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In the present study, a total of 80 GBM samples and 16 adjacent noncancerous tissues were used to examine the expression of miR-562 and c-MET. In order to gain a deep insight into the molecular network of miR-562 and c-MET in GBM, the miR-562 mimic and inhibitor were transfected into two GBM cell lines (U251 and U87), respectively. Meanwhile, lentiviral vector was used to mediate overexpression of c-MET. Cell proliferation was examined via Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assays. Meanwhile, cell apoptosis was analyzed by Annexin V-FTTC/PI staining assay. RESULTS: Our results indicated that the level of miR-562 was downregulated in GBM tissues and the expression of c-MET was upregulated in tumors. Cell proliferation analysis indicated that miR-562 was an anti-proliferation effector in GBM cells. Moreover, cell apoptosis analysis suggested the pro-apoptosis function of miR-562 in GBM cells. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated that miR-562 negatively regulated the c-MET/AKT signal pathway. In addition, caspase-3 might also serve as another target for miR-562 in GBM cells. This research not only obtained a deep understanding of miR-562 but also provided evidence in terms of developing new prognostic biomarker for GBM.

MiR-223-3p overexpression inhibits cell proliferation and migration by regulating inflammation-associated cytokines in glioblastomas.

Glioblastoma(GBM) is most common brain tumor in adults. Currently standard treatments have limited effect to increase the survival, because there are still largely unclear mechanisms in glioblastoma development. miR-223 was involved in various types of cancer, however, the function of miR-223-3p in GBM was still unclear. In our study, real-time PCR was performed to exam the expression level of miR-223-3p and NLRP3 (Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain(NOD)-like receptor family PYRIN domain containing-3) in GBM tissues. Following that, mimic or inhibitor of miR-223-3p were used to modulate miR-223-3p expression in GBM cell lines respectively. Then, we analyzed cell proliferation and migration by cell counting kit and transwell assay. Further, western blot was performed to detect several inflammation-associated cytokines level in GBM cell lines. We found that miR-223-3p was decreased but NLRP3 was increased in GBM tissues. Treatment with miR-223-3p mimic inhibits cell proliferation and migration via decreasing several inflammation-associated cytokines, including interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), IL-8 and IL-18. Importantly, these effects induced by miR-223-3p could be attenuated by NLRP3 overexpression, which was considered as one of target genes of miR-223-3p. In conclusion, these results indicated that miR-223-3p might act as a suppressor and a potential therapy target of GBM.

Functions and the related signaling pathways of the neurotrophic factor neuritin.

Neuritin is a member of the neurotrophic factor family, which is activated by neural activity and neurotrophins, and promotes neurite growth and branching. It has shown to play an important role in neuronal plasticity and regeneration. It is also involved in other biological processes such as angiogenesis, tumorigenesis and immunomodulation. Thus far, however, the primary mechanisms of neuritin, including whether or not it acts through a receptor or which downstream signals might be activated following binding, are not fully understood. Recent evidence suggests that neuritin may be a potential therapeutic target in several neurodegenerative diseases. This review focuses on the recent advances in studies regarding the newly identified functions of neuritin and the signaling pathways related to these functions. We also discuss current hot topics and difficulties in neuritin research.

Simultaneous determination of organochlorine and pyrethriod pesticide residues in the Chinese patent medicines by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A simple, sensitive, reliable method was developed for the simultaneous determination of organochlorine and pyrethriod pesticide residues in Chinese patent medicines Six ingredient rehmannia pills and Xiaoyao pills. These pesticides were extracted by ethyl acetate. The extraction time and volume of ethyl acetate were optimized. Cleanup of extracts was performed with dispersive-solid phase extraction using graphitized carbon black as the sorbent. The determination of pesticides in the final extracts was carried out by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in multiple reaction monitoring mode (GC-MS/MS, MRM). The linearity of the calibration curves is good in matrix-matched standard and yields the coefficients of determination (R2) ≥0.99 for all of the target analytes. Under optimized conditions, the average recoveries (five replicates) for most pesticides range from 75.5% to 114.6%, and RSDs are less than 10.0%. The LODs of 18 pesticides in Six ingredient rehmannia pill and Xiaoyao pills are in the range of 0.01-8.82 µg kg-1. The developed method meets the requirements of pesticide residue analysis and could be effectively used for routine analysis of the organochlorine and pyrethriod pesticide residues in Six ingredient rehmannia pills and Xiaoyao pills.

Effect of CCL2 siRNA on proliferation and apoptosis in the U251 human glioma cell line.

Glioma is one of the most common types of tumor of the central nervous system. Increased expression of C­C motif chemokine 2 (CCL2) has previously been observed in various types of cancer. The effect of CCL2 small interfering (si)RNA on the proliferation, angiogenesis and apoptosis of the glioma cell line U251 was investigated in the present study. Data on CCL2 expression in glioma and normal tissues were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas. A total of 30 patients with glioma were enrolled in the present study. Cell proliferation was measured using a Cell Counting kit­8 assay, while cellular apoptosis and cell cycle distribution were examined using flow cytometric analysis. The reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis were used to measure the expression levels of biological pathway­associated proteins caspase­3, caspase­7, tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 10C (TNFRSF10C), growth regulated α protein (CXCL1), C­X­C motif chemokine 2 (CXCL2), C­X­C chemokine receptor type 2 (CXCR2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)A, VEGFB and VEGF. In addition, the mechanism of cellular apoptosis was analyzed by examining the phosphorylation of extracellular signal­related kinase (ERK)1/2 and p38 mitogen­activated protein kinase (p38) in cells treated with the C­C chemokine receptor type 2 inhibitor RS­102895. CCL2 was observed to be expressed in the glioma cell line U251 and was inhibited by CCL2 siRNA. Cells transfected with CCL2 siRNA exhibited inhibited cell proliferation, cell cycle arrest and increased cellular apoptosis. The expression levels of the apoptosis­associated proteins caspase­3, caspase­7 and TNFRSF10C were observed to be downregulated, in addition to those of the angiogenesis­associated proteins CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCR2, VEGFA, VEGFB and VEGF. The decrease in the rate of phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and p38 demonstrated the involvement of the mitogen­activated protein kinase/ERK pathway in apoptosis. In conclusion, CCL2 siRNA exhibited effective inhibition of cell proliferation and angiogenesis in the glioma cell line U251, which may provide a theoretical basis for the use of CCL2 in in vivo research and clinical treatment as a novel anticancer agent.