Figure 5.

SMSC-EV-Packaged miR-31 Targets KDM2A to Activate the E2F1/PTTG1 Axis, Thereby Promoting the Proliferation and Migration of Chondrocytes In Vitro

sh-PTTG1-treated chondrocytes were treated with EVs from SMSCs transfected with the miR-31 inhibitor. (A) miR-31 expression determined by qRT-PCR in chondrocytes. (B) Representative western blots of KDM2A, E2F1, and PTTG1 proteins in chondrocytes. (C) KDM2A expression determined by qRT-PCR in chondrocytes. (D) E2F1 expression determined by qRT-PCR in chondrocytes. (E) PTTG1 expression determined by qRT-PCR in chondrocytes. ∗p < 0.05 compared with sh-NC-treated chondrocytes; #p < 0.05 compared with sh-PTTG1-treated chondrocytes; &p < 0.05 compared with sh-PTTG1 + EV (inhibitor-NC)-treated chondrocytes. (F) Chondrocyte proliferation measured by the CCK-8 assay. (G) The number of migrated chondrocytes measured by the Transwell assay. (H) Representative images of migrating chondrocytes (×200). Data are shown as mean ± standard deviation of three technical replicates. Data comparison among multiple groups was performed using one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test. Data comparison between groups at different time points was performed using repeated-measures ANOVA with Bonferroni correction.