title: MicroRNA-34a promoting apoptosis of human lens epithelial cells through down-regulation of B-cell lymphoma-2 and silent information regulator.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the role of microRNA-34a (miR-34a) in the induction of apoptosis of human lens epithelial (HLE-B3) cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  The apoptosis of HLE-B3 cells was detected by Annexin V-PE apoptosis detection kit after the treatment with 200 µmol/L H2O2for 24h and lentiviral miR-34a vector transfection. The expression of miR-34a in the cells was quantified by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in response to H2O2exposure and the vector transfection. The effects of overexpression of miR-34a on the expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) was determined by qRT-PCR and Western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression of miR-34a was up-regulated by the treatment of H2O2in HLE-B3 cells. The increased expression of miR-34a is accompanied with the cell apoptosis. Consistence with the H2O2exposure, ectopic overexpression of miR-34a in HLE-B3 cells promoted cells apoptosis. Importantly the anti-apoptosis factors Bcl-2 and SIRT1 were reduced significantly by up-regulation of miR-34a in HLE-B3 cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MiR-34a promotes the apoptosis of HLE-B3 cells by down-regulating Bcl-2 and SIRT1, suggesting that miR-34a may involve in the pathogenesis of cataract formation and targeting miR-34a may be a potentially therapeutic approach for treatment of cataract.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Ruikang Hospital affiliated to Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530000, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China; Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong General Hospital and Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou 510000, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Qing-Lan
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong General Hospital and Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou 510000, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Yang
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong General Hospital and Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou 510000, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Yong-Jie
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong General Hospital and Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou 510000, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Qian-Li
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Ruikang Hospital affiliated to Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530000, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Lei
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong General Hospital and Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou 510000, Guangdong Province, China; Zhengzhou Aier Eye Hospital, Aier School of Ophthalmology, Central South University, Zhengzhou 450000, Henan Province, China.
authors.forename: Hai-Ke
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Guo
keywords: apoptosis; human lens epithelial cells; microRNA-34a