LINC00473 attenuates the Dex-induced inhibition of the viability of hBMSCs by activating the Akt signaling pathway. (A) The viability of hBMSCs in each group was evaluated by CCK-8 assay from 1 to 7 days. (B-a) The apoptotic cells were investigated by a fluorescence microscope through Hoechst 33342 staining (scale bar, 200 µm). White arrows indicate the cells with karyopyknosis. (B-b) The percentage of apoptotic cells was calculated by cell count. A total of 6 randomly selected fields were quantified, and a total of 300 cells in each group were counted. (C-a) Flow cytometric analysis revealed the apoptotic cells with Annexin V-PE and 7-AAD staining: Cells in Q1 represent necrotic cells, cells in Q2 represent late apoptotic cells, cells in Q3 represent early apoptotic cells, cells in Q4 represent normal cells. (C-b) Percentage of Annexin+ cells in Q2 and Q3 in each group. All data are presented as the mean value ± standard deviation of 3 independent experiments. *P<0.05 compared with the normal group, #P<0.05 compared with the Dex group and the Dex + Vector group, &P<0.05 compared with the Dex + LINC00473-up group. LINC00473, lncCRNA-00473; hBMSCs, human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells; Dex, dexamethasone; Akt, protein kinase B; CCK-8, Cell Counting Kit-8; Q, quadrant.