miR-23a-3p affects LPS-induced inflammatory and apoptosis by targeting TLR4. (A) The efficiency of the TLR4 expression plasmid and the effect of miR-23a-3p overexpression on TLR4 expression were detected by western blotting. ***P<0.001 vs. pcDNA-NC; ##P<0.01 vs. pcDNA-TLR4+miR-NC. The inhibitory effect of miR-23a-3p overexpression on the inflammatory factors IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1β was mediated via the targeting of TLR4, as revealed by (B) RT-qPCR and (C) ELISA in LPS-induced THP-1 cells. The inhibitory effect of miR-23a-3p overexpression on apoptosis was mediated via the targeting of TLR4, as demonstrated by (D) flow cytometry and (E) the western blotting of apoptosis-associated proteins in LPS-induced THP-1 cells. *P<0.05, **P<0.01 and ***P<0.001 vs. control; #P<0.05, ##P<0.01 and #P<0.05 vs. LPS+miR-NC; ΔP<0.05, ΔΔP<0.01 and ΔΔΔP<0.001 vs. LPS+miR-23a-3p mimic. miR, microRNA; LPS, lipopolysaccharide; TLR4, Toll-like receptor 4; RT-qPCR, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR; NC, negative control; PARP, poly (ADP ribose) polymerase.