miR‑181b‑5p promotes proliferation and inhibits apoptosis of hypertrophic scar fibroblasts through regulating the MEK/ERK/p21 pathway

Liu,Bo; Guo,Zhe; Gao,Weiming

doi:10.3892/etm.2019.7159

miR‑181b‑5p promotes proliferation and inhibits apoptosis of hypertrophic scar fibroblasts through regulating the MEK/ERK/p21 pathway

Authors:
- Bo Liu
- Zhe Guo
- Weiming Gao
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Affiliations: Department of Medical Cosmetology, Eastern Liaoning University, Dandong, Liaoning 118003, P.R. China, Department of Dermatology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110000, P.R. China, Department of Medicine, Eastern Liaoning University, Dandong, Liaoning 118003, P.R. China
Published online on: January 7, 2019 https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2019.7159
Pages: 1537-1544
Copyright: © Liu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Hypertrophic scar (HS) is a common skin disorder occurring during the wound healing process, and the pathogenesis of HS remains unclear. Previous studies indicated that miRNAs may be involved in the onset and progression of HS. In the present study, reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‑qPCR) and western blotting were used to investigate the expression of miR‑181b‑5p and decorin in HS tissues. Direct interaction between miR‑181b‑5p and decorin was confirmed using a dual‑luciferase assay. Human HS fibroblasts (HSFbs) were cultured and transfected with miR‑181b‑5p mimics, and MTT assay and Annexin V fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide staining were performed to investigate the role of miR‑181b‑5p in the proliferation and apoptosis of HSFbs. Subsequently, the expression levels of mitogen‑activated protein kinase kinase (MEK), phospho (p)‑extracellular signal‑regulated kinase (ERK) and p21 were determined in HSFbs transfected with miR‑181b‑5p mimics and untransfected cells using RT‑qPCR and western blotting. The results indicated upregulation of miR‑181b‑5p and downregulation of decorin expression in HS tissues compared with normal skin samples. miR‑181b‑5p may regulate the expression of decorin through direct binding to the 3'‑untranslated region, as demonstrated by the results of the dual‑luciferase assay. Transfection with miR‑181b‑5p mimics in HSFbs enhanced cell proliferation, reduced apoptosis and increased the expression of MEK, p‑ERK and p21. Furthermore, treatment with MEK inhibitor in HSFbs transfected with miR‑181b‑5p mimics partially inhibited miR‑181b‑5p‑induced antiapoptotic effects. Taken together, increased expression of miR‑181b‑5p may serve important roles in the pathogenesis of HS through regulating the MEK/ERK/p21 pathway, suggesting that miR‑181b‑5p may be a therapeutic target for the treatment of HS.

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