HRMECs were transfected with miR-19b mimics, miR-19b inhibitor and NCs. (A) The transfection efficiency was examined by qRT-PCR assay, which revealed that miR-19b mimics up-regulated miR-19b and miR-19b inhibitor down-regulated miR-19b successfully. (B) MTT assay was conducted to evaluate the viability of HG-treated hRMECs. (C) The protein levels of the proliferation-related molecules CNA, Cyclin D1 and Cyclin E1 were determined by Western blotting assay in HG-induced hRMECs. (D) The activity of caspase-3/7 was measured by commercial kits. (E) Flow cytometry analysis was applied to detect cell apoptosis in HG-induced hRMECs. (F) Western blotting assays were conducted to measure the protein levels of the apoptosis-related cleaved caspase-3, Bax and Bcl-2 in HG-induced hRMECs. (G and H) The secretion of inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β) in HG-induced hRMECs was measured by qRT-PCR and ELISA; n=3, *P<0.05, **P<0.01, ***P<0.001.