Fig. 7: Overexpression of ITGA6 attenuates the inhibitory effects of miR-143-3p on GBC cells.

a, c Endothelial tube formation was estimated following incubation of HMVECs with conditioned medium from GBC cells transfected with mimic NC or miR-143-3p mimic and empty vector or ITGA6. The number of branches was quantified (*P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001; Student’s t test). Scale bar, 100 µm. b, d Invasion of HMVECs through the Matrigel chambers after incubation with conditioned medium from GBC cells co-transfected with mimic NC or miR-143-3p mimic and empty vector or ITGA6 for 48−72 h. Scale bar, 100 µm. The number of invading cells was determined and is depicted in the bar graph (**P < 0.01, ***P < 0.01; Student’s t test). e The growth rates of the GBC cells that were co-transfected with mimic NC or miR-143-3p mimics and empty vectors or ITGA6 were determined with CCK-8 proliferation assays (**P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001). f PLGF in the supernatants from NOZ and GBC-SD cells that were co-transfected with mimic NC or miR-143-3p mimic and empty vector or ITGA6 was quantified by ELISA (n = 3; *P < 0.05, ***P < 0.001; Student’s ttest). g Western blot for the ITGA6 and PLGF proteins in GBC cells that were co-transfected with mimic NC or miR-143-3p mimic and empty vector or ITGA6