Abstract: Ｏｂｊｅｃｔｉｖｅ：To investigate the effect of circular RNA_0124644 (circ_0124644) on human renal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2 cells) damage induced by high glucose (HG).
Ｍｅｔｈｏｄｏｌｏｇｙ：The plasma of 29 diabetic nephropathy patients and 41 healthy subjects were collected. The expression of circ_0124644 and microrna (Mir-136) were detected by real-time quantitative fluorescent PCR (qRT-PCR); the targeting relationship between circ_0124644 and microRNA (miR)-136 was verified.HK-2 cells were randomly divided into normal glucose (NG) group, HG group, HG+si-circ_0124644 group, HG+si-NC group, HG+si-circ_0124644+anti-miR-136 group, HG+si-circ_0124644+anti-miR-NC group. The cell inhibitory rate was detected by MTT assay; apoptosis rate, Cleaved caspase-3 protein levels, interleukin (IL-6), IL-10, IL-1β, superoxide dismutase (SOD), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were measured.
Ｒｅｓｕｌｔｓ：Compared with the healthy subjects, the expression of circ_0124644 in the plasma of diabetic nephropathy patients was increased, and the expression of miR-136 was decreased (P<0.05). In HG-induced HK-2 cells, the expression level of circ_0124644 was increased, the expression of miR-136 was decreased, the cell inhibitory rate, apoptosis rate, the levels of Cleaved caspase-3 protein, average fluorescence intensity of Cleaved caspase-3, IL-6, IL-1β, LDH, MDA, and activity of ROS were increased, level of IL-10 and activity of SOD were decreased (P<0.05). After silencing circ_0124644, HK-2 cell inhibition rate, apoptosis rate, expression level of Cleaved caspase-3 protein and average fluorescence intensity of Cleaved caspase-3 were decreased, levels of IL-6, IL-1β were decreased, level of IL-10 was increased, activity of SOD was increased, level of LDH, content of MDA and activity of ROS were decreased (P<0.05). Down-regulation of miR-136 reversely weakened the effect of silencing circ_0124644 on HK-2 cells induced by HG.
Ｃｏｎｃｌｕｓｉｏｎ：Silencing circ_0124644 may inhibit HG-induced renal tubular epithelial cells injury by regulating miR-136.

Key words: diabetic nephropathycircular RNA_0124644micro , RNA-136renal tubular epithelial cellsinflammatory factorsoxidative stressapoptosis