BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence indicates that long noncoding RNAs (LncRNAs) play a key role in multiple pathological processes. It has been shown that LncRNA steroid receptor RNA activator (SRA) is elevated in peripheral blood of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The aim of this study was to assess the effect of elevated LncRNA SRA on ovarian granular cells of mice in vitro.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: We firstly isolated granular cells from mouse ovaries and over-expressed the LncRNA SRA by means of lentiviral transfection in this cell line. Then, we assessed the effects of LncRNA SRA on granular cells through real-time PCR, CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry, Hoechst staining, and Western blot assay.

RESULTS: We demonstrated that elevated LncRNA SRA stimulated cell growth, changed distribution of cell cycle phases with increase of Cyclin B, Cyclin E, and Cyclin D1, and inhibited cell apoptosis with up-regulation of bcl2 and down-regulation of bax, cleaved-caspase 3, and cleaved-PARP. Moreover, the contents of estradiol (E2) and progesterone (PG) and expressions of their key enzymes (CYP19A1 and CYP11A1) were up-regulated following over-expression of LncRNA SRA.

CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our results indicate that abnormal LncRNA SRA may be a risk factor for evoking PCOS.