Using human vascular endothelial cells (ECV304) as the target,we studied the effect of caveolin(CAV)-1 in the course of insulin-stimulated expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor(PAI)-1.The appropriate single-stranded oligonucleotides representing the RNAi CAV-1 gene were analyzed by Ambion software.After annealing to generate double-stranded oligonucleotides (ds oligo),it was cloned into the pENTR/U6 entry vector containing RNA polymerase Ⅲ expression element by T4 DNA ligase.The short hairpin (shRNA) sequences transferred from the pENTR/U6 entry were cloned into the pLenti6/BLOCK-iTDEST vector with an LR recombination reaction.After identification by sequencing,we successfully constructed the CAV-1 RNAi lentiviral expression system using Gateway technology.Silencing efficiency was assayed by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction,immunofluorescence staining and Weste blotting.ECV304 cells were cultured in the medium containing different concentrations of insulin(1×10-9 to 1×10-7M)with the CAV-1 gene silenced or not.The expression level and subcellular localization of PAI-1 and CAV-1 were compared using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction,immunofluorescence staining and Weste blot assay.The results showed that the potent inhibition of CAV-1 expression could reach 85%,and it was specific to the CAV-1-derived shRNA,not the S100A13-derived shRNA.There was no dramatic difference in PAI-1 expression between the RNAi+ and RNAi-ECV304 cells incubated with physiological insulin,but PAI-1 protein did accumulate under the cell membrane.As the concentration of insulin increased,the expression of PAI-1 was up-regulated,whereas the expression of CAV-1 attenuated.Furthermore,PAl-1 clearly augmented after CAV-1 knockdown.These results indicated that hyperinsulinism could promote PAI-1 expression by inhibiting CAV-1,and stabilizing or up-regulating CAV-1 expression in endothelial cells might reduce complications of the great vessels and capillary vessels in diabetes.