LncRNA PVT1 knockdown affects proliferation and apoptosis of uveal melanoma cells by inhibiting EZH2

To detect the expression of long non-coding ribonucleic acid (lncRNA) plasmacytoma variant translocation gene 1 (PVT1) in uveal melanoma (UM) tissues, and to investigate its influence on the proliferation and apoptosis of UM cells as well as its mechanism.

40 cases of UM tissues and 40 cases of adjacent tissues surgically resected in our hospital from October 2015 to April 2018 were collected. The expression level of lncRNA PVT1 in these tissues was determined by Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). Stable knockdown of lncRNA PVT1 was constructed in human UM cell line OCM-1 using small interfering RNA (siRNA). The impact of lncRNA PVT1 on UM cell proliferation was detected by Cell Counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assay. Flow cytometry was applied to measure the apoptotic level of UM cells in the blank control group and lncRNA PVT1 knockdown group. Meanwhile, the expression level of enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2) was determined by Western blotting.

The expression level of lncRNA PVT1 in UM tissues was remarkably higher than that in the adjacent tissues (p<0.05). UM cell proliferation was notably repressed after lncRNA PVT1 knockdown by siRNA. Flow cytometry results indicated that the number of apoptotic UM cells in lncRNA PVT1 knockdown group significantly increased compared with that in the blank control group (p<0.05). The protein expression of EZH2 was suppressed after lncRNA PVT1 knockdown (p<0.05).

LncRNA PVT1 knockdown in UM cells can repress the proliferation of UM cells and promote their apoptosis by regulating EZH2 expression.