MIRNA-203 AFFECTED THE PROLIFERATION AND APOPTOSIS OF FIBROBLAST SYNOVIUM CELLS IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS RATS BY REGULATING THE WNT/Β-CATENIN SIGNALING PATHWAY

Xiabing Qin^* 

Department of Orthopedics,Shiyan Taihe hospital, Affiliate Hospital of Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, 442000, China

Objective: To investigate the effect of miRNA-203 on the proliferation and apoptosis of fibroblast synovium cells in rats with rheumatoid arthritis by regulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. 

Methods: 60 healthy, male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats of a clean grade were selected for the sample in this study. From these, 15 rats were randomly selected as the NC group and were each injected with 0.1ml /100g normal saline. The remaining 45 rats were injected with 0.1mL/100g Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) intradermal to establish a rat model for rheumatoid arthritis. After successful modeling, the 45 rheumatoid arthritis rat models were randomly divided into a model group, a miR-203 mimics group, and a miR-203 inhibition group, with 15 rats in each group. The model group was not treated, while the miR-203 mimics group and the miR-203 inhibition group were transfected with miR-203 mimics and miR-203 inhibition, respectively. After feeding the rats for 4w, follow-up studies began. Rats in each group were taken for abdominal aortic bloodletting and then put to death; rat fibroblast synovial cells were isolated for culture and passage. The proliferation capacity (OD value), apoptosis capacity (apoptosis rate), adenomatous colon polyposis gene (APC), and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway-related proteins (β-catenin, C-myc) were compared. 

Results: The OD values of the model group and the miR-203 mimics group were significantly higher than those of the NC group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the OD values from the model group and the miR-203 mimics group (P>0.05). The OD value from the miR-203 inhibition group was significantly lower than that of the model group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the OD values from the NC group and the miR-203 inhibition group (P>0.05). The apoptosis rates for the model group and the miR-203 mimics group were significantly lower than that of the NC group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the apoptosis rates of the model group and the miR-203 mimics group (P>0.05). The apoptosis rate of the miR-203 inhibition group was significantly higher than that of the model group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in apoptosis rates between the NC group and the miR-203 inhibition group (P>0.05). The expression levels of the APC protein in the model group and the miR-203 mimics group were significantly lower than in the NC group, while the expression levels of β-catenin and the C-myc protein were significantly higher than in the NC group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the expression levels of APC0, β-catenin, and C-myc in the model group compared with the miR-203 mimics group (P>0.05). The expression level of the APC protein in the miR-203 inhibition group was significantly higher than that in the model group, while the expression levels of β-catenin and the C-myc protein in the model group were significantly lower than those in the model group (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the APC, β-catenin, and C-myc protein expression levels between the NC group and the miR-203 inhibition group (P>0.05).

Conclusion: Silencing the expression of miRNA-203 can improve the expression of APC in the fibroblast synovium cells of rats with rheumatoid arthritis, inhibiting the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, which can significantly inhibit the proliferation of fibroblast synovium cells and promote apoptosis.