LRG-1 expression in tongue cancer tissue and effect of targeted inhibition of LRG-1 by siRNA on tongue cancer viability

Objective: To study LRG-1 expression in tongue cancer tissue and the effect of targeted inhibition of LRG-1 by siRNA on tongue cancer viability. Methods: Tongue cancer tissue and para-carcinoma tissue were collected to determine LRG-1 expression; tongue cancer cell lines Tca8113 were cultured and transfected with negative control siRNA (NC-siRNA group) and LRG1-targeted siRNA (LRG1-siRNA group) respectively, and the cell viability as well as the expression levels of angiogenesis molecules, apoptosis molecules and autophagy molecules were determined. Results: LRG-1 expression level in tongue cancer tissue was significantly higher than that in para-carcinoma tissue; after siRNA transfection, cell OD value of NC-siRNA group showed increasing trend, cell OD value of LRG1-siRNA group showed decreasing trend, cell OD values of LRG1-siRNA group at all points in time after transfection were significantly lower than those of NC-siRNA group; 24h after transfection, angiogenesisrelated molecules HIF-1α, PI3K, Akt and VEGF as well as anti-apoptotic molecules Bcl-2, Bmi-1 and Survivin expression levels in cells of LRG1-siRNA group were significantly lower than those of NC-siRNA group, pro-apoptotic molecules p53 and Caspase-3 as well as autophagy molecules Beclin-1 and LC3II expression levels were significantly higher than those of NC-siRNA group, and LC3I expression level was not significantly different from that of NC-siRNA group. Conclusions: LRG-1 shows a trend of high expression in tongue cancer tissue, and targeted inhibition of LRG-1 expression can reduce tongue cancer cell viability, inhibit angiogenesis and promote cell apoptosis and autophagy process.