VCAM1-targeted RNA interference inhibits the proliferation of human oral squamous carcinoma HN12 cells

In the present study, RNA interference (RNAi) was used to investigate the effect of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM1) silencing on the proliferation of human oral squamous carcinoma HN12 cells. HN12 cells were divided into three groups: The untreated blank control cell group (CK), the negative control group transfected with non-homologous vector (NC) and the positive group transfected with the target sequence VCAM1 small hairpin RNA (KD). Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis were used to examine the effects of VCAM1-knockdown on the mRNA expression of VCAM1 and subsequent protein expression. Furthermore, the HN12 cell growth inhibition rate was detected using the cell counting kit-8 method. The VCAM1-targeted lentiviral vector RNAi significantly inhibited VCAM1 mRNA, and subsequent protein, expression. Compared with the NC group, the VCAM1 gene knockdown efficiency was ~85%, while the expression level of VCAM1 protein was reduced by ~74% in KD group cells. In addition, cell growth was significantly inhibited in the KD group, with a growth inhibition rate of ~34%. Therefore, this targeted lentiviral vector RNAi effectively inhibited VCAM1 gene, and subsequent protein, expression, as well as the proliferation of oral squamous carcinoma cells. These results may provide an experimental reference for the diagnosis and treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma.