Silencing of METTL3 inhibits m6A methylation of NEK7 to suppress pyrolysis in an HT-22 cell-based model of intracerebral hemorrhage

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) induces severe neurological damage, and its progression is driven by METTL3. This study aimed to investigate the role of METTL3 in ICH via in vitro experiments. For this purpose, HT-22 cells were treated with hemin to mimic ICH in vitro, followed by evaluating cell pyroptosis using flow cytometry, lactic dehydrogenase release analysis, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and western blotting. Moreover, N6-methyl adenosine (m6A) methylation of NEK7 was assessed using methylated RNA immunoprecipitation, RNA immunoprecipitation, dual-luciferase reporter assay, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results indicated that knockdown of METTL3 inhibited hemin-induced pyroptosis and suppressed m6A methylation of NEK7 due to METTL3 downregulation, reducing NEK7 mRNA stability. The effects on METTL3-induced cell pyroptosis were abrogated by overexpressing NEK7, while IGF2BP2 increased NEK7 expression. Similarly, IGF2BP2 silence downregulated NEK7 expression mediated by METTL3. In conclusion, silencing of METTL3 inhibited hemin-induced HT-22 cell pyroptosis by suppressing m6A methylation of NEK7, which was recognized by IGF2BP2. These findings are envisaged to identify a novel therapeutic strategy for ICH.