The Role of the miR-548au-3p/CA12 Axis in Tracheal Chondrogenesis in Congenital Pulmonary Airway Malformations

Figure 2

miR-548au-3p promoted rat tracheal chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation. Rat tracheal chondrocytes were transfected with miR-548au-3p mimics, inhibitor, or negative control (NC). (a) Transfection efficiency assessed by PCR. (b) Cell viability of rat tracheal chondrocytes assessed by CCK-8 assay. (c) Cell proliferation ability assessed by EdU staining. Red fluorescence: EdU; blue fluorescence: DAPI (scale ). (d) Apoptosis levels assessed by TUNEL assay (scale ). Red fluorescence: TUNEL; blue fluorescence: DAPI. (e) Cell apoptosis determined by flow cytometry with Annexin V/propidium iodide staining. (f) Protein levels of E-cadherin and N-cadherin. (g) The effect of miR-548au-3p on differentiation of rat tracheal chondrocytes assessed using Alcian blue staining (scale ). (h) Aggrecan, Col2A1, MMP13, and ADAMTS4 protein levels assessed by western blot. , , and , compared with NC.