Meanwhile, in vitro experiments on cells co-transfected with rno-miR-103a-3p inhibitor and si-AFAP1-AS1 revealed an increase of both cell cycle progression and proliferation, a reduced cell apoptosis, an increase of PRL and GH secretion, as well as an upregulation of PI3K/AKT signaling transduction pathway in pituitary adenoma rat-derived cell lines. Here, AKT1 is linked to pituitary gland adenoma.