Experimental Study of Oxysophocarpine on Proliferation, Apoptosis, Migration and Invasion of Cervical Cancer Cells by Regulating LncRNA DUXAP8/miR-519b-3p Axis

In order to explore the effects of OSC (Oxysophocarpine) on proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion of cervical cancer HeLa cells, this study divided HeLa cells into Con group (control group), OSC group, si-DUXAP8 (DUXAP8 small interfering RNA) group, si-NC (small interfering RNA negative control) group, OSC+pcDNA-DUXAP8 (DUXAP8 overexpression vector) group and OSC+pcDNA group. Then cell proliferation was detected by MTT assay; cell migration and invasion were detected by Transwell; cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry; the protein levels of CyclinD1, p21, Bcl-2, Bax, MMP-2 and MMP-9 were detected by Western blot; the levels of DUXAP8 and miR-519b-3p were detected by RT-qPCR. The regulatory relationship between DUXAP8 and miR-519b-3p was verified by dual luciferase reporter gene assay. The results showed that compared with the Con group, the inhibition rate, apoptosis rate, the protein levels of Bax and p21, and the level of miR-519b-3p in the OSC groups were increased (P<0.05), while the number of cell migration and invasion, the protein levels of CyclinD1, Bcl-2, MMP-2 and MMP-9, and the level of DUXAP8 were decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the si-NC group, the inhibition rate, apoptosis rate, and the protein levels of Bax and p21 in the si-DUXAP8 group were increased (P<0.05), while the number of cell migration and invasion, and the protein levels of CyclinD1, Bcl-2, MMP-2 and MMP-9 were decreased (P<0.05). DUXAP8 negatively regulated the expression of miR-519b-3p in HeLa cells. Compared with the OSC+pcDNA group, the inhibition rate, apoptosis rate, and the protein levels of Bax and p21 in the OSC+pcDNA-DUXAP8 group were decreased (P<0.05), while the number of cell migration and invasion, and the protein levels of CyclinD1, Bcl-2, MMP-2 and MMP-9 were increased (P<0.05). This suggested that OSC could inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of cervical cancer HeLa cells and induce their apoptosis by regulating DUXAP8/miR-519b-3p axis.