To investigate the effect of anemoside B4 on the malignant biological behavior of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells mediated by microRNA-142-3p (miR-142-3p) on the expression of high mobility group protein A1 (HMGA1).

A549 cells were divided into A549 group (normal culture), anemoside B4 group (100 μg·mL^-1 anemoside B4 treatment), inhibitor NC group (100 μg·mL^-1 anemoside B4+ transfection inhibitor NC treatment), miR-142-3p inhibitor group (100 μg·mL^-1 anemoside B4+ transfected with miR-142-3p inhibitor treatment), si-NC group (100 μg·mL^-1 anemoside B4+ co-transfected with miR-142-3p inhibitor and si-NC treatment), si-HMGA1 group (100 μg·mL^-1 anemoside B4+ co-transfected with miR-142-3p inhibitor and si-HMGA1 treatment). Real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting (WB) were used to detect the expression of miR-142-3p and HMGA1. Cell proliferation, migration and apoptosis were detected by 5-acetylidene-2′-deoxyuracil riboside (Edu), Transwell and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling assay (TUNEL).

The miR-142-3p relative expression levels of A549 group, anemoside B4 group, inhibitor NC group and miR-142-3p inhibitor group were 1.00±0.14, 1.58±0.18, 1.60±0.21 and 1.12±0.16, respectively; the relative expression levels of HMGA1 protein were 1.00±0.23, 0.56±0.07, 0.59±0.08 and 0.95±0.21, respectively; the proliferation rates were (84.62±9.11)%, (62.15±7.20)%, (63.89±7.77)% and (76.35±8.11)%, respectively; the migration number was (156.23±17.54), (80.65±8.67), (82.15±8.96) and (111.55±12.75) cells, respectively; the apoptosis rates were (8.96±0.95)%, (32.56±3.56)%, (33.95±3.79)% and (16.89±1.92)%, respectively. The proliferation rates of si-NC group and si-HMGA1 group were (75.98±8.05)% and (64.52±7.25)%, respectively; the migration number was (118.85±12.98) and (86.95±9.21) cells, and the apoptosis rates were (17.58±2.02)% and (28.15±3.13)%, respectively. The above indexes in A549 group were compared with anemoside B4 group, miR-142-3p inhibitor group were compared with inhibitor NC group, si-HMGA1 group were compared with si-NC group, the differences were all with statistically significant (all P<0.05).

Anemoside B4 may inhibit proliferation and migration of NSCLC cells and promote apoptosis by regulating the miR-142-3p/HMGA1 axis.