Down-regulation of lncRNA-H19 expression promotes apoptosis and autophagy of human keloid fibroblasts

Objective To investigate the effects of down-regulation of long non-coding RNA-H19 (lncRNA-H19) expression on apoptosis and autophagy of human keloid fibroblast cell line and to explore potential mechanism. Methods Human scar fibroblasts cell line (KFs) and normal human dermal fibroblasts cell line (HDFs) were collected and KFs cells were infected with lncRNA-H19F low-expressing adenovirus (si-lncRNA-H19) and empty virus vector without si-lncRNA-H19 (si-eGFP). They were divided into HDFs group, KFs group, si-lncRNA-H19+KFs group and si-eGFP+KFs group. KFs cells were co-transfected with si-lncRNA, mTOR over-expressing adenovirus (Ad-mTOR) and empty vector (Ad-eGFP-m), then divided into KFs group, si-lncRNA-H19+Ad-mTOR group,si-eGFP+Ad-mTOR group, si-lncRNA-H19+Ad-eGFP group and si-eGFP+Ad-eGFP group. RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression of lncRNA-H19; flow cytometry was used to detect the cell apoptosis ; autophagy was examined by EM microscopy with fluorescence (acridine orange,AO) staining; immuno-histo