Fig 2: The Microarray Analysis Results Showed the Close Relationship between ANXA3 and the Development of IA(A) Heatmap analysis of IA-associated gene expression microarray data. The horizontal coordinate represents the sample number, and the vertical coordinate represents the gene name. The upper blue-red bar represents sample type: blue indicates normal control samples, whereas red indicates IA samples. The left tree map represents the cluster analysis of gene expression. The upper right histogram color indicates the level of expression: red indicates high expression value, whereas blue indicates low expression value. The left dendrogram represents the clustering results among genes; each square indicates the expression of a gene in a sample. (B) The biological process enrichment analysis of DEGs. The horizontal coordinate represents GeneRatio, and the vertical coordinate represents BP items. The size of circles refers to the gene quantity included in BP items, and a bigger circle indicates more genes. The color showed Qvalue of the item: red indicates low Qvalue, and green indicates high Qvalue. The left Count and Qvalue are legends. (C) Link analysis between the top five genes with the most differential expression and IA, proliferation, and apoptosis. The red pane refers to disease name and development keywords, whereas the blue pane refers to gene names. The lines between panes indicate the relationship between two elements, and the number indicates the closeness degree. The lines with different color indicate different relationships: green indicates stimulatory relationship, red indicates inhibitory relationship, yellow indicates both stimulatory and inhibitory, whereas gray indicates neither stimulatory nor inhibitory. ANXA3, Annexin A3; BP, biological process; DEG, differentially expressed gene; IA, intracranial aneurysm.

Fig 3: Positive Expressions of ANXA3 and PCNA Were Upgraded in IA(A) Results of immunohistochemistry assay in the control group and aneurysm group (original magnification ×400). (B) The positive expression of ANXA3 and PCNA in the control group and aneurysm group. *p < 0.05 compared with the control group. ANXA3, Annexin A3; PCNA, proliferating cell nuclear antigen.

Fig 4: Silencing of ANXA3 Inhibited the Activation of the JNK Signaling Pathway(A) mRNA expression of ANXA3, JNK, caspase-3, OPN, Bax, MMP-9, PCNA, a-SMA, ß-tubulin, and Bcl-2. (B and C) Protein bands (B) and protein expression (C) of ANXA3, JNK, caspase-3, OPN, Bax, MMP-9, PCNA, a-SMA, ß-tubulin, and Bcl-2 were measured by western blot assay. *p < 0.05 compared with the blank group; #p < 0.05 compared with the si-ANXA3 group. ANXA3, Annexin A3; JNK, c-Jun N-terminal kinase.

Fig 5: Both the si-ANXA3 and SP600125 Suppressed Cell Apoptosis(A) Flow chart of cell cycle. (B) Chart graph of cell cycle in each group. (C) Flow chart of cell apoptosis. (D) Chart graph of cell apoptosis in each group. *p < 0.05 compared with the blank group; #p < 0.05 compared with the si-ANXA3 group and the SP600125 group. ANXA3, Annexin A3.