MiRNA-146a promotes proliferation and migration of rat vascular smooth muscle cells in vitro in a nuclear factor-κB-dependent manner / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>[corrected] To understand the role of miRNA-146a in the proliferation and migration of primarily cultured rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and investigate the mechanisms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Primarily cultured rat VSMCs were transfected with a synthesized miRNA-146 inhibitor, a scramble sequence or PBS via Lipofectamine2000. Cell counting kit 8 (CCK8) and transwell assay were employed to assess the proliferation and migration of the transfected cells, and the expressions of nuclear factor-κB p65 (NF-κBp65) and proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were detected using Western blotting.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A 48-h transfection of the VSMCs with miRNA-146 inhibitor caused significantly lowered miRNA-146a expression as compared with that in VSMCs transfected with the scramble sequence or PBS (P<0.01), resulting also in lowered proliferative and migration ability of the cells (P<0.01). The expression levels of NF-κBp65 and PCNA were remarkably lower in cells transfected with miRNA-146 inhibitor than in the cells in the other two groups (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>miRNA-146a is capable of promoting the proliferation and migration of rat VMSCs probably by enhancing the expression of NF-κBp65.</p>