FIGURE 5.

circVMA21 functioned as a sponge of miR‐9‐3p. (A) Apoptosis levels were measured by flow cytometry. Groups: control, LPS + vector, LPS + circVMA21, LPS + circVMA21+mimics infected HK‐2 cells, and (B) statistical result of the apoptosis levels. Levels of (C) apoptosis related proteins, Bax, Bcl‐2 and active Caspase3 and (D) inflammation related proteins, TNF‐α, IL‐6 and IL‐1β, were measured with WB. (E) Relative mRNA expression levels of Bax, Bcl‐2, Caspase3, TNF‐α, IL‐6 and IL‐1β were measured with quantitative PCR. (F) Apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells in group Sham, CLP + vector, CLP + circVMA21, CLP + circVMA21+mimic was detected using TUNEL methods. (G) Pathological morphology HE staining of the renal tissue from different groups. (H) Quantification of TUNEL positive apoptosis cells per field. (I) Semi‐quantitative histopathological score of renal tissue. *P < 0.05, ***P < 0.001. Data were presented as mean ± SD from three independent experiments