lncRNA ZFAS1 promotes the ox‑LDL induced proliferation, invasion and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells

Wang,Hao; Hu,Huajie; Ma,Junjie; Jiang,Yafeng; Cheng,Ruifei

doi:10.3892/etm.2021.10267

lncRNA ZFAS1 promotes the ox‑LDL induced proliferation, invasion and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells

Authors:
- Hao Wang
- Huajie Hu
- Junjie Ma
- Yafeng Jiang
- Ruifei Cheng
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Affiliations: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Linhai Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital Medical Community, Linhai, Zhejiang 317000, P.R. China, Department of Medical Genetics and Prenatal Diagnosis, Lianyungang Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Lianyungang, Jiangsu 222000, P.R. China, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Lianyungang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Lianyungang, Jiangsu 222004, P.R. China
Published online on: June 4, 2021 https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2021.10267
Article Number: 835
Copyright: © Wang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Atherosclerosis is a chronic progressive inflammatory vascular disease. The dysfunction of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) induced by oxidized low‑density lipoprotein (ox‑LDL) contributes to the formation of atherosclerotic lesions. Additionally, upregulation of the long non‑coding RNA zinc finger antisense 1 (ZFAS1) was observed in the plaques of patients with atherosclerosis. The aim of the present study was to explore the functional role of ZFAS1 in atherosclerosis progression. Reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR was performed to analyze ZFAS1 mRNA expression, and western blotting was performed to determine the protein expression levels of Ki67, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), matrix metallopeptidase (MMP)2 and MMP9. The Cell Counting Kit‑8 assay was used to test cell viability. Finally, wound healing and Transwell chamber assays were performed to evaluate cell migration and invasion, respectively. The current findings demonstrated that ZFAS1 expression was upregulated by ox‑LDL stimulation in VSMCs. Moreover, ZFAS1 overexpression promoted the ox‑LDL‑induced proliferation, migration and invasion of VSMCs, and upregulated the expression levels of proteins associated with cellular proliferation (Ki67 and PCNA), migration and invasion (MMP2 and 9). By contrast, ZFAS1‑knockdown inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of VSMCs, and suppressed cell proliferation‑, migration‑ and invasion‑associated protein expression. In conclusion, ZFAS1 promoted the ox‑LDL‑induced proliferation, invasion and migration of VSMCs. Thus, ZFAS1 may represent a novel biomarker for dysfunction of VSMCs in the pathological condition of atherosclerosis.

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