Exosomes from human-bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells protect against renal ischemia/reperfusion injury via transferring miR-199a-3p

Renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is the main reason for acute kidney injury (AKI) and is closely related to high morbidity and mortality. In this study, we found that exosomes from human-bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSC-Exos) play a protective role in hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury. hBMSC-Exos were enriched in miR-199a-3p, and hBMSC-Exo treatment increased the expression level of miR-199a-3p in renal cells. We further explored the function of miR-199a-3p on H/R injury. miR-199a-3p was knocked down in hBMSCs with a miR-199a-3p inhibitor. HK-2 cells cocultured with miR-199a-3p-knockdown hBMSCs were more susceptible to H/R injury and showed more apoptosis than those cocultured with hBMSCs or miR-199a-3p-overexpressing hBMSCs. Meanwhile, we found that HK-2 cells exposed to H/R treatment incubated with hBMSC-Exos decreased semaphorin 3A (Sema3A) and activated the protein kinase B (AKT) and extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathways. However, HK-2 cells cocultured with miR-199a-3p-knockdown hBMSCs restored Sema3A expression and blocked the activation of the AKT and ERK pathways. Moreover, knocking down Sema3A could reactivate the AKT and ERK pathways suppressed by a miR-199a-3p inhibitor. In vivo, we injected hBMSC-Exos into mice suffering from I/R injury; this treatment induced functional recovery and histologic protection and reduced cleaved caspase-3 and Sema3A expression levels, as shown by immunohistochemistry. On the whole, this study demonstrated an antiapoptotic effect of hBMSC-Exos, which protected against I/R injury, via delivering miR-199a-3p to renal cells, downregulating Sema3A expression and thereby activating the AKT and ERK pathways. These findings reveal a novel mechanism of AKI treated with hBMSC-Exos and provide a therapeutic method for kidney diseases.     

MiR-181a-5p is involved in the cardiomyocytes apoptosis induced by hypoxia–reoxygenation through regulating SIRT1

ABSTRACT

MiR-181a-5p’s mechanism in hypoxia–reoxygenation (H/R)-induced cardiomyocytes apoptosis has not been clarified. This study verified that SIRT1 was the target of miR-181a-5p. MiR-181a-5p expression was up-regulated or down-regulated in H/R-induced cardiomyocytes, and SIRT1 was transfected into cells alone or in combination with miR-181a-5p. Cell viability, apoptosis, levels of released lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), as well as the Bcl-2, Bax, and Caspase 3 levels in treated cells were tested. On the one hand, down-regulated miR-181a-5p promoted cell viability, reduced released LDH and MDA, and increased SOD level in H/R-induced cardiomyocytes. On the other hand, miR-181a-5p inhibited apoptosis and elevated Bcl-2 expression while decreasing the expressions of Bax and Caspase 3 in treated cells, but the effects of miR-181a-5p could be rescued by SIRT1. In conclusion, miR-181a-5p involved in H/R-induced cardiomyocytes apoptosis through regulating SIRT1, which might become a novel direction for related diseases.     

Troxerutin attenuates myocardial cell apoptosis following myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury through inhibition of miR-146a-5p expression

The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects and the underlying mechanisms of troxerutin on myocardial cell apoptosis during ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) model in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, and I/R model in rats, were established following troxerutin preconditioning. The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis was performed to examine the messenger RNA miR-146a-5p expression in cardiomyocytes and myocardial tissues. Hemodynamic parameters and serum creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-10 were evaluated. Infarct size was examined by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. Besides, myocardial apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (dUTP) nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Western blot analysis was performed to determine the protein levels of caspase-3, Bax, and Bcl-2. The results showed that, troxerutin decreased rat cardiomyocyte apoptosis during H/R injury. Furthermore, the antiapoptotic effect of troxerutin against I/R injury was mediated by miR-146a-5p downregulation. In vivo experiments suggested that troxerutin alleviated myocardial I/R injury in rats via inhibition of miR-146a-5p. In conclusion, troxerutin exerted cardioprotective effects during I/R injury by downregulating miR-146a-5p.     

Upregulation of miR-199a-5p Protects Spinal Cord Against Ischemia/Reperfusion-Induced Injury via Downregulation of ECE1 in Rat

Ischemia–reperfusion (I/R)-induced spinal cord injury can cause apoptotic damage and subsequently act as a blood–spinal cord barrier damage. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) contributed to the process of I/R injury by regulating their target mRNAs. miR-199a-5p is involved in brain and heart I/R injury; however, its function in the spinal cord is not yet completely clarified. In this study, we investigated the role of miR-199a-5p on spinal cord I/R via the endothelin-converting enzyme 1, especially the apoptosis pathway. In the current study, the rat spinal cord I/R injury model was established, and the Basso Beattie Bresnahan scoring, Evans blue staining, HE staining, and TUNEL assay were used to assess the I/R-induced spinal cord injury. The differentially expressed miRNAs were screened using microarray. miR-199a-5p was selected by unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis. The dual-luciferase reporter assay was used for detecting the regulatory effects of miR-199a-5p on ECE1. In addition, neuron expression was detected by immunostaining assay, while the expressions of p-ERK, ERK, p-JNK, JNK, caspase-9, Bcl-2, and ECE1 were evaluated by Western blot. The results indicated the successful establishment of the I/R-induced spinal cord injury model; the I/R induced the damage to the lower limb motor. Furthermore, 18 differentially expressed miRNAs were detected in the I/R group compared to the sham group, and miR-199a-5p protected the rat spinal cord injury after I/R. Moreover, miR-199a-5p negatively regulated ECE1, and silencing the ECE1 gene also protected the rat spinal cord injury after I/R. miR-199a-5p or silencing of ECE1 also regulated the expressions of caspase-9, Bcl-2, p-JNK, p-ERK, and ECE1 in rat spinal cord injury after I/R. Therefore, we demonstrated that miR-199a-5p might protect the spinal cord against I/R-induced injury by negatively regulating the ECE1, which could aid in developing new therapeutic strategies for I/R-induced spinal cord injury.     

Effect of miR-499a-5p on damage of cardiomyocyte induced by hypoxia-reoxygenation via downregulating CD38 protein

The aim is to investigate the mechanism of miR-499a-5p on the damage of cardiomyocyte induced by hypoxia/reoxygenation. The activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), apoptosis rate and the expression of miR-499a-5p and cluster of differentiation 38 (CD38) in hypoxia-reoxygenation model cells were detected by LDH Cytotoxicity Assay Kit, flow cytometry, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and Western blot analysis, respectively. Apoptosis, the activity of LDH was detected after overexpression of miR-499a-5p or silencing of CD38 in H9c2 cells. The target relationship between miR-499a-5p and CD38 was verified by Targetscan online prediction and dual-luciferase assay. Apoptosis, the activity of LDH was detected after overexpression of miR-499a-5p and CD38. Apoptosis, the activity of LDH and the expression of CD38 were increased (P < .05) while expression of miR-499a-5p was decreased (P < .05) in hypoxia/reoxygenation model cells. Apoptosis and the activity of LDH in H9c2 cells after overexpression of miR-499a-5p or silence of CD38 were decreased (P < .05). The results of Targetscan online prediction and dual-luciferase assay indicated that CD38 was a potential target gene of miR-499a-5p. Overexpression of CD38 could reverse the inhibition of miR-499a-5p on LDH activity and apoptosis in H9c2 cells. miR-499a-5p could relief the injury of cardiomyocytes induced by hypoxia/reoxygenation via targeting CD38.     

Suppression of LINC00707 alleviates lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation and apoptosis in PC-12 cells by regulated miR-30a-5p/Neurod 1

ABSTRACT

Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) has emerged as a pivotal regulator improving neural regeneration in the progression of spinal cord injury (SCI). However, whether lncRNAs can be targeted for therapeutic intervention of SCI remains unclear. In this study, we found that LINC00707 expression was significantly up-regulated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated PC-12, a model that mimics nerve cell injury in an inflammatory environment after SCI. Suppression of LINC00707 alleviated LPS-induced inflammation and apoptosis in PC-12 cells. Furthermore, we found that LINC00707 adsorbed miR-30a-5p and silenced miR-30a-5p or overexpressed Neurod 1 reversed the effect of LINC00707 on the inflammation and apoptosis of LPS-treated PC-12 cells. These findings revealed that LINC00707 alleviates LPS-induced inflammation and apoptosis in PC-12 cells by targeting miR-30a-5p/Neurod 1, providing a preliminary theoretical basis for the clinical application of LINC00707 in SCI.     

MiR-29b-3p aggravates cardiac hypoxia/reoxygenation injury via targeting PTX3

Our current research aimed to decipher the role and underlying mechanism with regard to miR-29b-3p involving in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. In the present study, cardiomyocyte H9c2 cell was used, and hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) model was established to mimic the myocardial I/R injury. The expressions of miR-29b-3p and pentraxin 3 (PTX3) were quantified deploying qRT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. The levels of LDH, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 were detected to evaluate cardiomyocyte apoptosis and inflammatory response. Cardiomyocyte viability and apoptosis were examined employing CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Verification of the targeting relationship between miR-29b-3p and PTX3 was conducted using a dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. It was found that miR-29b-3p expression in H9c2 cells was up-regulated by H/R, and a remarkable down-regulation of PTX3 expression was demonstrated. MiR-29b-3p significantly promoted of release of inflammatory cytokines of H9c2 cells, and it also constrained the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of H9c2 cells. Additionally, PTX3 was inhibited by miR-29b-3p at both mRNA and protein levels, and it was identified as a direct target of miR-29b-3p. PTX3 overexpression could reduce the inflammatory response, increase the viability of H9c2 cells, and inhibit apoptosis. Additionally, PTX3 counteracted the function of miR-29b-3p during the injury of H9c2 cells induced by H/R. In summary, miR-29b-3p was capable of aggravating the H/R injury of H9c2 cells by repressing the expression of PTX3.     

Inhibition of adenosine kinase attenuates myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury

Increased adenosine helps limit infarct size in ischaemia/reperfusion-injured hearts. In cardiomyocytes, 90% of adenosine is catalysed by adenosine kinase (ADK) and ADK inhibition leads to higher concentrations of both intracellular adenosine and extracellular adenosine. However, the role of ADK inhibition in myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury remains less obvious. We explored the role of ADK inhibition in myocardial I/R injury using mouse left anterior ligation model. To inhibit ADK, the inhibitor ABT-702 was intraperitoneally injected or AAV9 (adeno-associated virus)—ADK—shRNA was introduced via tail vein injection. H9c2 cells were exposed to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. ADK was transiently increased after myocardial I/R injury. Pharmacological or genetic ADK inhibition reduced infarct size, improved cardiac function and prevented cell apoptosis and necroptosis in I/R-injured mouse hearts. In vitro, ADK inhibition also prevented cell apoptosis and cell necroptosis in H/R-treated H9c2 cells. Cleaved caspase-9, cleaved caspase-8, cleaved caspase-3, MLKL and the phosphorylation of MLKL and CaMKII were decreased by ADK inhibition in reperfusion-injured cardiomyocytes. X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), which is phosphorylated and stabilized via the adenosine receptors A2B and A1/Akt pathways, should play a central role in the effects of ADK inhibition on cell apoptosis and necroptosis. These data suggest that ADK plays an important role in myocardial I/R injury by regulating cell apoptosis and necroptosis.     

miR-27a-3p通过靶向Sema7A调控病毒性心肌炎心肌细胞损伤的机制研究

目的探讨微小RNA-27a-3p(miR-27a-3p)过表达对病毒性心肌炎(VMC)细胞损伤的影响及其可能的作用机制。方法原代培养大鼠心肌细胞,柯萨奇B3病毒(CVB3)感染心肌细胞建立VMC模型(CVB3组)。正常心肌细胞作为对照组,分别将miR-NC、miR-27a-3p mimics、si-NC,si-Sema7A分别转染至CVB3感染的心肌细胞,记为CVB3+miR-NC组、CVB3+miR-27a-3p组、CVB3+si-NC组、CVB3+si-Sema7A组。分别将miR-27a-3p mimics与pcDNA,miR-27a-3p mimics与pcDNA-Sema7A共转染至CVB3感染的心肌细胞,记为CVB3+miR-27a-3p+pcDNA组、CVB3+miR-27a-3p+pcDNA-Sema7A组。采用实时荧光定量聚合酶链反应(qRT-PCR)与Western blot法分别检测细胞中miR-27a-3p、信号蛋白7A(Sema7A)的表达水平;流式细胞术检测miR-27a-3p过表达或干扰Sema7A表达后心肌细胞的凋亡率;酶联免疫吸附(ELISA)法检测细胞中肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)、白细胞介素-1(IL-1)的含量;双荧光素酶报告基因验证miR-27a-3p与Sema7A的靶向关系;Western blot检测B淋巴细胞瘤-2相关蛋白(Bax)、活化的含半胱氨酸的天冬氨酸蛋白水解酶3(cleaved caspase-3)、B淋巴细胞瘤-2(Bcl-2)蛋白表达。两组间比较采用独立样本t检验。结果与对照组比较,CVB3组miR-27a-3p的表达水平(1.01±0.09比0.42±0.04)降低,Sema7A的mRNA和蛋白表达水平(1.02±0.09比2.15±0.21、0.43±0.04比0.94±0.09)升高,TNF-α、IL-1水平[(403.56±38.16)pg/mL比(1156.48±63.59)pg/mL>(29.45±3.54)pg/mL比(136.57±12.47)pg/mL]升高,细胞凋亡率[(5.36±0.54)%比(24.58±2.14)%]升高,Bax、cleaved caspase-3的表达水平升高,Bcl-2的表达水平降低(P均<0.05);与CVB3+miR-NC组比较,CVB3+miR-27a-3p组TNF-α,IL-1水平[(1187.69±71.42)pg/mL比(516.28±48.31)pg/mL、(147.25±14.05)pg/mL比(43.68±5.02)pg/mL]和细胞凋亡率[(26.38±2.55)%比(10.24±1.15)%]降低,Bax、cleaved caspase-3表达水平降低,Bcl-2表达水平升高(P均<0.05);双荧光素酶报告实验证实miR-27a-3p可靶向调控Sema7A的表达;Sema7A过表达可逆转miR-27a-3p过表达对CVB3诱导的VMC细胞损伤的作用。结论miR-27a-3p过表达可降低VMC细胞中炎症因子的表达及抑制细胞凋亡从而减轻心肌损伤,其作用机制可能与靶向调控Sema7A的表达有关。     

Upregulation of miR-1306-5p decreases cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in vitro by targeting BIK

ABSTRACT

MiR-1306-5p is involved in the progression of acute heart failure, but its role in ischemic stroke remains unclear. Here, SH-SY5Y cells were exposed to oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD) for 4, 8, and 12 h, respectively, and then reoxygenation for 12 h to construct OGD/R induced cell injury model. Cell viability, cell death, and cell apoptosis were assessed with CCK-8 assay, LDH assay, ?ow cytometry, and caspase-3 activity assay. The target gene of miR-1306-5p was confirmed by luciferase reporter assay. We found miR-1306-5p expression was significantly down-regulated in OGD/R-induced SH-SY5Y cell model. Moreover, miR-1306-5p protected SH-SY5Y cell against OGD/R-induced injury. Mechanistically, Bcl2-interacting killer (BIK) was the direct target gene of miR-1306-5p. Furthermore, BIK knockdown mimicked, while overexpression reversed the protective effects of miR-1306-5p against OGD/R induced injury. Our findings thus provide an experimental basis miR-1306-5p targeting BIK-based therapy for cerebral I/R injury.     

microRNA-340-5p inhibits hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced apoptosis and oxidative stress in cardiomyocytes by regulating the Act1/NF-κB pathway

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to play critical roles in the occurrence, progression, and treatment of many cardiovascular diseases. However, the molecular mechanism by which miRNA regulates target gene expression in ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is not entirely clear. MiR-340-5p was reported to be downregulated in acute ischemic stroke. However, it still remains unknown whether miR-340-5p is mediated in the pathogenesis process of I/R injury after AMI. In the present study, male C57BL/6 J mice and H9C2 cardiomyocytes were used as experimental models. Real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis, Western blot analysis, and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end-labeling immunofluorescence staining assay were conducted to examine related indicators in the study. We confirmed that the expression of miR-340-5p is downregulated after I/R in AMI mice and hypoxia/reperfusion (H/R)-induced cardiomyocytes. miR-340-5p could inhibit apoptosis and oxidative stress in H/R-induced H9C2 cells via downregulating activator 1 (Act1). The inhibiting action of miR-340-5p on H/R-induced apoptosis and oxidative stress in cardiomyocytes was partially reversed after Act1 overexpression. Moreover, the results showed that the NF-κB pathway may be mediated in the role of miR-340-5p on H/R-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and oxidative stress. We demonstrated that upregulation of miR-340-5p suppresses apoptosis and oxidative stress induced by H/R in H9C2 cells by inhibiting Act1. Therapeutic strategies that target miR-340-5p, Act1, and the NF-κB pathway could be beneficial for the treatment of I/R injury after AMI.     

地佐辛对缺氧复氧诱导的大鼠心肌细胞损伤的作用及机制

目的: 探讨地佐辛通过调控微小RNA-7a-5p(miR-7a-5p)/泛素E3连接酶10(TRIM10)表达影响缺氧复氧(H/R)诱导的大鼠心肌细胞H9C2氧化应激和凋亡的作用机制。方法: 将H9C2细胞分为对照组(细胞正常培养)、H/R组(缺氧处理3 h,复氧培养4 h)、不同剂量地佐辛干预组(分别采用10^-7、10^-6、10^-5 mmol/L的地佐辛预处理H9C2细胞24 h,再进行H/R处理)、H/R+miR-7a-5p组(转染miR-7a-5p mimics至H9C2细胞,然后进行H/R处理)、H/R+miR-NC组(转染miR-NC至H9C2细胞,然后进行H/R处理)、H/R+地佐辛+anti-miR-7a-5p组(10^-5 mmol/L的地佐辛预处理转染anti-miR-7a-5p的H9C2细胞24 h,再进行H/R处理)、H/R+地佐辛+anti-miR-NC组(10^-5 mmol/L的地佐辛预处理转染anti-miR-NC的H9C2细胞24 h,再进行H/R处理),每组细胞设置3个复孔,实验重复3次。酶联免疫吸附法检测细胞中氧化应激指标丙二醛(MDA)含量、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)和谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-Px)活力,流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡,蛋白印迹(Western blot)法检测B淋巴细胞瘤-2(Bcl-2)、B淋巴细胞瘤-2相关蛋白(Bax)和泛素E3连接酶10(TRIM10)蛋白表达,实时荧光定量PCR(RT-qPCR)检测miR-7a-5p和TRIM10 mRNA表达。双荧光素酶报告基因实验验证miR-7a-5p与TRIM10调控关系。结果: 与对照组比较,H/R组MDA含量、细胞凋亡率、Bax蛋白表达及TRIM10的mRNA和蛋白表达均升高(P＜0.05),而SOD和GSH-Px活力、Bcl-2蛋白表达和miR-7a-5p表达均降低(P＜0.05)。与H/R组比较,不同剂量地佐辛干预组MDA含量、细胞凋亡率、Bax蛋白表达及TRIM10的mRNA和蛋白表达均降低(P＜0.05),而SOD和GSH-Px活力、Bcl-2蛋白表达和miR-7a-5p表达均升高(P＜0.05),且不同剂量地佐辛干预组间各指标两两比较差异均显著(P＜0.05)。与H/R+miR-NC组比较,H/R+miR-7a-5p组MDA含量、细胞凋亡率、Bax蛋白表达及TRIM10蛋白表达均降低(P＜0.05),而SOD和GSH-Px活力、Bcl-2蛋白表达均升高(P＜0.05)。miR-7a-5p靶向负调控TRIM10表达。与H/R+地佐辛+anti-miR-NC组比较,H/R+地佐辛+anti-miR-7a-5p组MDA含量、细胞凋亡率、Bax蛋白表达及TRIM10蛋白表达均升高(P＜0.05),而SOD和GSH-Px活力、Bcl-2蛋白表达均降低(P＜0.05)。结论: 地佐辛可降低H/R诱导的大鼠心肌细胞H9C2氧化应激和凋亡,其可能通过调控miR-7a-5p/TRIM10轴发挥作用。     

miR-145-5p attenuates inflammatory response and apoptosis in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting (NADPH) oxidase homolog 1

Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is a common complication following reperfusion therapy that involves a series of immune or apoptotic reactions. Studies have revealed the potential roles of miRNAs in I/R injury. Herein, we established a myocardial I/R model in rats and a hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) model in H9c2 cells and investigated the effect of miR-145-5p on myocardial I/R injury. After 3 h or 24 h of reperfusion, left ventricular end-systolic pressure (LVESP), ejection fraction (EF), and fractional shortening (FS) were obviously decreased, and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) was increased. Meanwhile, I/R induced an increase in myocardial infarction area. Moreover, a decrease in miR-145-5p and increase in (NADPH) oxidase homolog 1 (NOH-1) were observed following I/R injury. With this in mind, we performed a luciferase reporter assay and demonstrated that miR-145-5p directly bound to NOH-1 3’ untranslated region (UTR). Furthermore, miR-145-5p mimics decreased the levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 via oxygen and glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) stimulation. Upregulation of miR-145-5p increased cell viability and reduced apoptosis accompanied by downregulation of Bax, cleaved caspase-3, cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and upregulation of Bcl2. In addition, miR-145-5p overexpression increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content under OGD/R stress. Notably, NOH-1 could significantly abrogate the above effects, suggesting that it is involved in miR-145-5p-regulated I/R injury. In summary, our findings indicated that miR-145-5p/NOH-1 has a protective effect on myocardial I/R injury by inhibiting the inflammatory response and apoptosis.     

The optimization conditions of establishing an H9c2 cardiomyocyte hypoxia/reoxygenation injury model based on an AnaeroPack System

Ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury is a major cause of cardiomyocyte apoptosis after vascular recanalization, which was mimicked by a hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury model of cardiomyocytes in vitro. In this study, we explored an optimal H/R duration procedure using the AnaeroPack System. To study the H/R procedure, cardiomyocytes were exposed to the AnaeroPack System with sugar and serum-free medium, followed by reoxygenation under normal conditions. Cell injury was detected through lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and cardiac troponin (c-Tn) release, morphological changes, cell apoptosis, and expression of apoptosis-related proteins. The results showed that the damage to H9c2 cells increased with prolonged hypoxia time, as demonstrated by increased apoptosis rate, LDH and c-Tn release, HIF-1α expression, as well as decreased expression of Bcl-2. Furthermore, hypoxia for 10 h and reoxygenation for 6 h exhibited the highest apoptosis rate and damage and cytokine release; in addition, cells were deformed, small, and visibly round. After 12 h of hypoxia, the majority of the cells were dead. Taken together, this study showed that subjecting H9c2 cells to the AnaeroPack System for 10 h and reoxygenation for 6 h can achieve a practicable and repeatable H/R injury model.     

LINC00472 suppressed by ZEB1 regulates the miR-23a-3p/FOXO3/BID axis to inhibit the progression of pancreatic cancer

The tumour-suppressive role of LINC00472 has been extensively reported in various human cancers such as lung, colon and ovarian cancers, yet its function in pancreatic cancer remains unidentified. Here, the current research aimed to explore the role and regulatory axis mediated by LINC00472 in the progression of pancreatic cancer. RT-qPCR was adopted to determine LINC00472 expression in the harvested pancreatic cancer tissues and adjacent normal tissues. Loss-of-function and gain-of-function experiments were performed to examine the effects of LINC00472 on proliferation and apoptosis in vitro and tumorigenesis in vivo. Immunoblotting was performed to detect the expression of several proliferation and apoptosis-related proteins. Bioinformatic analysis, dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA pull-down were conducted to profile the relationships between LINC00472 and miR-23a-3p, between miR-23a-3p and FOXO3 and between FOXO3 and BID. The LINC00472 expression was down-regulated by ZEB1 in the pancreatic cancer cells and tissues. LINC00472 could competitively bind to miR-23a-3p to enhance the expression of FOXO3, which consequently could promote the BID expression, thereby suppressing proliferation and promoting the apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells. Meanwhile, the inhibitory role of LINC00472 in tumorigenesis was validated in vivo, and the LINC00472-mediated miR-23a-3p/FOXO3/BID axis was also demonstrated in the nude mouse tumour formation model. The study substantiated the antitumour activity of LINC00472 in pancreatic cancer and proposed a regulatory axis in which LINC00472 competitively binds to miR-23a-3p to enhance the FOXO3 expression and promote BID expression. Consequently, these findings provide theoretical basis for developing potential targets for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.     

Piperine protects against pyroptosis in myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury by regulating the miR-383/RP105/AKT signalling pathway

miRNA-mediated pyroptosis play crucial effects in the development of myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury (MIRI). Piperine (PIP) possesses multiple pharmacological effects especially in I/R condition. This study focuses on whether PIP protects MIRI from pyroptosis via miR-383-dependent pathway. Rat MIRI model was established by 30 minutes of LAD ligation and 4 hours of reperfusion. Myocardial enzymes, histomorphology, structure and function were detected to evaluate MIRI. Recombinant adenoviral vectors for miR-383 overexpression or miR-383 silencing or RP105 knockdown were constructed, respectively. Luciferase reporter analysis was used to confirm RP105 as a target of miR-383. Pyroptosis-related markers were measured by Western blotting assay. The results showed that I/R provoked myocardial injury, as shown by the increases of LDH/CK releases, infarcted areas and apoptosis as well as worsened function and structure. Pyroptosis-related mediators including NLRP3, cleaved caspase-1, cleaved IL-1β and IL-18 were also reinforced after MIRI. However, PIP treatment greatly ameliorated MIRI in parallel with pyroptotic repression. In mechanistic studies, MIRI-caused elevation of miR-383 and decrease of RP105/PI3K/AKT pathway were reverted by PIP treatment. Luciferase reporter assay confirmed RP105 as a miR-383 target. miR-383 knockdown ameliorated but miR-383 overexpression facilitated pyroptosis and MIRI. Moreover, the anti-pyroptotic effect from miR-383 silencing was verified to be relied on the RP105/PI3K/AKT signalling pathway. Additionally, our present study further indicated the miR-383/RP105/AKT-dependent approach resulting from PIP administration against pyroptosis in MIRI. Therefore, PIP treatment attenuates MIRI and pyroptosis by regulating miR-383/RP105/AKT pathway, and it may provide a therapeutic manner for the treatment of MIRI.     

Adiponectin up-regulates the expression of T-cadherin in cardiomyocytes injured by hypoxia/reoxygenation

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of adiponectin (APN) on the expression of T-cadherin in cultured Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat cardiomyocytes injured by hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R). Primary myocardial cells from neonatal rats were obtained by enzymatic digestion. The cells were divided into control group, H/R group and H/R+APN (3, 10, 20 and 30 μg/mL) groups. The H/R group was incubated in anoxic environment (anoxic solution saturated with high concentration N2) for 3 h, and then in the reoxygenation environment (the reoxygenation solution saturated with pure oxygen) for 1 h. The H/R+APN group was pretreated with different concentrations of APN for 24 h prior to the initiation of H/R. The content of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was measured by chemistry chromatometry. Cellular apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). The expression of T-cadherin was detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting. The results showed that, compared with control group, the apoptotic rate and release of LDH were significantly increased in the H/R group, whereas the expressions of T-cad mRNA and protein were decreased. Pretreating with APN significantly and dose-dependently decreased apoptotic rate and LDH release, and up-regulated T-cad mRNA and protein level in rat neonatal cardiomyocytes under H/R conditions. These results suggest that APN may protect cardiomyocytes against H/R-induced injury by up-regulating H/R-decreased T-cad expression.     

LINC01133 aggravates the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway

LncRNAs exhibit crucial roles in various pathological diseases, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, it is significant to recognize the dysregulated lncRNAs in HCC progression. Recently, LINC01133 has been identified in several tumors. However, the biological role of LINC01133 in HCC remains poorly understood. Currently, we focused on the function of LINC01133 in HCC development. We observed that LINC01133 was significantly increased in HCC cells including HepG2, Hep3B, MHCC-97L, SK-Hep-1, and MHCC-97H cells compared with the normal human liver cell line HL-7702. In addition, PI3K/AKT signaling was highly activated in HCC cells. Knockdown of LINC01133 was able to inhibit HCC cell proliferation, cell colony formation, cell apoptosis, and blocked cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase. For another, downregulation of LINC01133 repressed HCC cell migration and invasion. Subsequently, the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was strongly suppressed by silence of LINC01133 in Hep3B and HepG2 cells. Then, in vivo tumor xenografts models were established using Hep3B cells to explore the function of LINC01133 in HCC progression. Consistently, our study indicated that knockdown of LINC01133 dramatically repressed HCC tumor progression through targeting the PI3K/AKT pathway in vivo. Taken these together, we revealed that LINC01133 contributed to HCC progression by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway.