| Objective To investigate the effect of long non-coding RNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 16 (LncRNA SNHG16) on the proliferation and apoptosis of osteoarthritis (OA) chondrocytes induced by interleukin-1β (IL-1β) through regulation of microRNA (miR-214-3p). Methods Human chondrocyte CHON-001 was randomly divided into NC group, IL-1β group, sh-con group, sh-LncRNA SNHG16 group, sh-LncRNA SNHG16+anti-miR-con group, sh-LncRNA SNHG16+anti- miR-214-3p group, each group was subjected to 6 replicates. Except for routine culture in the NC group, all the other groups used IL-1β to induce OA model cells. Dual luciferase assay was used to evaluate the targeting relationship between LncRNA SNHG16 and miR-214-3p; CCK8, plate cloning and flow cytometry experiments determine the survival rate, cloning number and apoptosis rate levels of each group of cells; qRT-PCR experiments were used to determine the levels of LncRNA SNHG16 and miR-214-3p in each group of cells; Western blot experiments were used to determine the levels of PCNA, Bcl-2, Bax, and Cleaved Caspase-3 proteins in each group of cells. Results The dual luciferase report found that the cells in the WT-LncRNA SNHG16+miR-214-3p mimic group had lower luciferase activity than the WT-LncRNA SNHG16+mimic-con group (P<0.05). Compared with the NC group, the survival rate, clone number, miR-214-3p, PCNA, and Bcl-2 expression of cells in the IL-1β group decreased, and the apoptosis rate, LncRNA SNHG16, Bax, and Cleaved Caspase-3 expression increased (P<0.05). Compared with the IL-1β group and sh-con group, the survival rate, clone number, miR-214-3p, PCNA, and Bcl-2 expression increased, apoptosis rate, LncRNA SNHG16 group, Bax, Cleaved Caspase-3 expression was reduced (P<0.05). Compared with the sh-LncRNA SNHG16 group and sh-LncRNA SNHG16+anti-miR-con group, the survival rate, clone number, miR-214-3p, PCNA of the sh-LncRNA SNHG16+anti-miR-214-3p group, Bcl-2 expression decreased, and apoptosis rate, Bax, and Cleaved Caspase-3 expression increased (P<0.05). Conclusion Downregulation of LncRNA SNHG16 may inhibit IL-1β-induced OA model cells apoptosis and promote proliferation by targeting upregulation of miR-214-3p. |