Induction of apoptosis and necrosis in human acute erythroleukemia cells by inhibition of long non-coding RNA PVT1

Recent advances in molecular medicine have proposed new therapeutic strategies for cancer. One of the molecular research lines for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer is the use of long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) which are a class of non-coding RNA molecules longer than 200 base pairs in length that act as the key regulator of gene expression. Different aspects of cellular activities like cell growth, proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and migration are regulated by lncRNAs. In various cancers, aberrant expression of lncRNAs has been reported. One of the lncRNAs that showed upregulation in human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is lncRNA plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1). Here, we performed blockage of lncRNA PVT1 in human acute erythroleukemia (AEL) cell line (KG1) using antisense LNA GapmeRs. Then, at different time points (24, 48 and 72 hours) after transfection, qRT‑real‑time PCR and AnnexinV/Propidium Iodide staining assay were performed. The data were processed using the ANOVA test. At all three time points, the ratio of apoptotic cells in the PVT1 antisense LNA GapmeRs treated group was higher than the other groups. The ratio of necrotic cells in the antisense LNA GapmeRs group was also higher than the other groups. These assessments show that inhibition of lncRNA PVT1 could significantly induce apoptosis and necrosis in KG1 cells. Our findings can be used in translational medicine for future investigation in acute erythroleukemia and treatment approach based on antisense therapy.