LncRNA MALAT 1/miR-625–3p/HIF-1α axis regulates the EMT of hypoxia-induced RPE cells by activating NF-κB/snail signaling

Abstract

The retina may undergo structural and functional damage as a result of hypoxia, which could lead to permanent blindness. As competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs), lncRNAs are essential in eye disorders. The biological function of lncRNA MALAT 1 and its potential mechanisms in hypoxic-ischemic retinal diseases are still unknown. MALAT 1 and miR-625–3p expression alterations in hypoxia-treated RPE cells were examined using qRT-PCR. The target binding relationships between MALAT 1 and miR-625–3p, as well as between miR-625–3p and HIF-1α, were identified utilizing bioinformatics analysis and dual luciferase reporter assay. We observed that si-MALAT 1 and miR-625–3p mimic both reduced apoptosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in hypoxic RPE cells, whereas si-MALAT 1 was reversed by miR-625–3p inhibitor. Further, we carried out a mechanistic investigation, and rescue assays demonstrated that MALAT 1 sponging miR-625–3p influenced HIF-1α expression and consequently took part in the NF-κB/Snail signaling pathway, which regulated apoptosis and EMT. In conclusion, our research had shown that the MALAT 1/miR-625–3p/HIF-1α axis drove the progression of hypoxic-ischemic retinal disorders and may serve as a promising predictive biomarker for their therapeutic and diagnostic targets.