Knockdown of JARID2 inhibits the viability and migration of placenta trophoblast cells in preeclampsia

Protein Jumonji (JARID2) is a member of the Jumonji family of proteins and has been demonstrated to regulate cell proliferation and invasion. However, little is known about the role of JARID2 in the metastasis of placenta trophoblast cells. In the present study, the effect and the underlying molecular mechanism of JARID2 on trophoblast cell viability and invasion was investigated. The expression of JARID2 in placental tissues was analyzed by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. HTR8/SVneo cells were transfected with si-JARID2 or scramble for 24 h. Cell viability, migration and invasion in HTR8/SVneo cells were then evaluated. The expression levels of matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP2), MMP9, phosphorylated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (p-PI3K), PI3K, phosphorylated AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (p-Akt) and Akt in HTR8/SVneo cells were also detected using western blotting. The results of the present study demonstrated that JARID2 is underexpressed in human preeclamptic placentas. The knockdown of JARID2 significantly inhibited the viability, migration and invasion of HTR8/SVneo cells. In addition, the knockdown of JARID2 significantly decreased the levels of phosphorylated PI3K and Akt in HTR8/SVneo cells. The results of the present study demonstrated that JARID2 may serve a role in the progression of preeclampsia. The knockdown of JARID2 inhibited the viability and invasion of trophoblast cells in preeclampsia by suppressing the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Therefore, JARID2 may serve as a novel potential target for treating preeclampsia.