A study of effect of lncRNA MVIH on sensitivity of gastric cancer cells to gemcitabine.

OBJECTIVE To study the effect of expression of long non-coding ribonucleic acid (lncRNA) associated with microvascular invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma (MVIH) on the sensitivity of gastric cancer cells to gemcitabine. MATERIALS AND METHODS BGC-823 cell lines were divided into control group (no treatment), low expression group (lentiviral transfection with sh-lncRNA MVIH), and high expression group (lentiviral transfection with lncRNA MVIH). The expression of lncRNA MVIH, the protein expressions of E-cadherin and Vimentin, and the differences in proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of gastric cancer cells were detected via Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting, Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, transwell assay, wound healing assay, methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay, and flow cytometry. RESULTS The results of RT-PCR revealed that compared with that in control group, the mRNA expression of lncRNA MVIH was significantly decreased in low expression group and markedly increased in high expression group. Also, there were statistically significant differences (p<0.05). The results of Western blotting showed that compared with those in control group and low expression group, the protein expression of E-cadherin was significantly decreased, while the protein expression of Vimentin was markedly increased in high expression group (p<0.05). The results of transwell assay manifested that the number of invading gastric cancer cells was the largest in high expression group at 48 h (p<0.05), significantly larger than that in control group and low expression group (p<0.05), while it was the smaller in low expression group. It was found through the wound healing assay that the migration ability of gastric cancer cells was enhanced in high expression group, markedly stronger than in control group and low expression group, while it significantly declined in low expression group compared to control group. Besides, the results of CCK-8 assay showed that compared with that in control group, the sensitivity of gastric cancer cells to gemcitabine was remarkably increased in low expression group (p<0.05), while it significantly declined in high expression group (p<0.05). Finally, according to the flow cytometry, the apoptosis rate of gastric cancer cells was markedly higher in low expression group than that in control group and high expression group (p<0.05), indicating that the low expression of lncRNA MVIH can promote the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS Reducing the expression of lncRNA MVIH can significantly lower the migration and invasion ability of gastric cancer cells and raise the sensitivity of gastric cancer cells to gemcitabine.