Circular RNA circZNF652 is overexpressed in osteoarthritis and positively regulates LPS-induced apoptosis of chondrocytes by upregulating PTEN

Abstract

Circular RNA circZNF652 promotes LPS-induced inflammation, contributing to the development of osteoarthritis (OA), indicating the potential involvement of circZNF652 in OA. This study was carried to explore the involvement of circZNF652 in OA. RT-qPCR was performed to analyse the expression of circZNF652 and PTEN mRNA in synovial fluid samples from 60 OA patients and 60 healthy controls. Correlations between circZNF652 and PTEN mRNA were analysed by Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Overexpression and siRNA silencing of circZNF652 were achieved in chondrocytes, followed by performing RT-qPCR and Western blot to analyse the expression of PTEN. The role of circZNF652 and PTEN in regulating the apoptosis of chondrocytes induced by LPS was analysed by cell apoptosis assay. We found that circZNF652 was overexpressed in OA and positively correlated with PTEN, MMP13, and NF-KB mRNA. In chondrocytes, circZNF652 overexpression increased the expression of PTEN, MMP13, and NF-KB; circZNF652 siRNA silencing decreased the expression of PTEN, MMP13, and NF-KB. Moreover, circZNF652 and PTEN positively regulated the apoptosis of chondrocytes induced by LPS. PTEN overexpression reversed the inhibitory effects of circZNF652 siRNA silencing on cell apoptosis. Therefore, circZNF652 is overexpressed in OA and positively regulates LPS-induced apoptosis of chondrocytes by upregulating PTEN.

Keywords:

• Osteoarthritis
• circZNF652
• PTEN
• apoptosis
• chondrocytes

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s). We declare that we do not have any commercial or associative interest that represents a conflict of interest in connection with the work submitted.

Author contributions

Xuefeng Yuan, Chengla Yi: study concepts, literature research, clinical studies, data analysis, experimental studies, manuscript writing and review; Yingchi Zhang: study design, literature research, experimental studies, and manuscript editing; Cong Cai: definition of intellectual content, clinical studies, data acquisition, and statistical analysis; Chaoxu Liu: data acquisition, manuscript preparation and data analysis; Jie Xie: data acquisition and statistical analysis.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author, Chengla Yi, Department of Traumatic Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, 430030, P. R. China. Email: [email protected]. Tel: [phone].

The data are not publicly available due to their containing information that could compromise the privacy of research participants.