Abstract
BACKGROUND: To study the effects of long non-coding ribonucleic acid (lncRNA) HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR) on the proliferation and apoptosis of malignant melanoma cells, and to explore its specific regulatory mechanism through the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-ϰB) signaling pathway. METHODS: LncRNA HOTAIR small-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) were designed and synthesized, and the effects of si-HOTAIR transfection on the proliferation and apoptosis of malignant melanoma cells were detected via cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining assay and flow cytometry, respectively. The gene expressions were determined using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), the changes in NF-ϰB pathway-related proteins and apoptosis-associated proteins after interference in lncRNA HOTAIR were detected via Western blotting, and the level of NF-ϰB in each group was determined via ELISA. RESULTS: The results of CCK-8 assay revealed that the cell proliferation rate significantly declined gradually in si-HOTAIR group compared with that in si-NC group and control group (P<0.05). The results of Western blotting and ELISA showed that the activity of NF-ϰB in si-HOTAIR group was weakened (P<0.05), suggesting that down-regulation of HOTAIR can suppress the activity of NF-ϰB. Compared with si-NC group and control group, si-HOTAIR group had remarkably increased gene and protein expressions of pro-apoptotic Bax, and remarkably decreased gene and protein expressions of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 (P<0.05), demonstrating that down-regulation of HOTAIR can promote apoptosis. CONCLUSION: Down-regulation of lncRNA HOTAIR can inhibit the proliferation and promote the apoptosis of malignant melanoma cells and suppress the NF-ϰB pathway.