Asparaginase and isoaspartyl peptidase 1 RNA interference suppresses the growth of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a type of head and neck tumor that possesses invasion and growth. This study aims to explore the impact of RNA interference on the growth and invasion of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. Asparaginase and isoaspartyl peptidase 1 (ASRGL1)-short hairpin(sh) RNA expressing lentivirus was used to investigate the effect of ASRGL1 knockdown on nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells (C666-1). The target shASRGL1 gene was determined by mRNA and protein expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells; nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell proliferation viability, migration, invasion, apoptosis, ATP levels and oxidative stress were examined. The results found that shASRGL1 exhibited a high gene expression knockdown efficiency, downregulated the ASRGL1 protein expression in the nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells, suppressed proliferation viability of transfected nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells, inhibited their migration and invasion and ATP levels, promoted nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell apoptosis, ROS and ferroptosis. shASRGL1 plays a role in protecting against nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell growth and invasion.