Mechanism through which the hsa-circ_0000992- hsa- miR- 936-AKT3 regulatory network promotes the PM-induced inflammatory response in human bronchial epithelial cells.

Background: Studies have shown that fine particulate matter (PM) remains a significant problem in developing countries and plays a critical role in the onset and progression of respiratory illnesses. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in many pathophysiological processes,but their relationship to PM pollution is largely unexplored.

Objectives: To elucidate the functional role of hsa_circ_0000992 in PM-induced inflammation in a human bronchial epithelial cell line (16HBE) and to clarify whether the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanism is involved in the interrelationships between hsa_circ_0000992 and hsa-miR-936 and the inflammatory signaling pathways.