LncRNA PART1 alleviated myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury via suppressing miR-503-5p/BIRC5 mediated mitochondrial apoptosis

Comprehensive analysis of lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network in ischemic stroke

Objective

Competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks have uncovered a novel mode of RNA interaction, and are implicated in various biological processes and the pathogenesis of IS. This study aimed to explore the potential mechanisms underlying the ceRNA network in IS.

Methods

Four public datasets containing lncRNA and mRNA (GSE22255 and GSE16561) and miRNA (GSE55937 and GSE43618) expression profiles from the GEO database were systematically analyzed to explore the role of RNAs in ischemic stroke (IS). Differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs), lncRNAs (DElncRNAs), and miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) between IS and normal control samples were identified. LncRNA-miRNA and miRNA-mRNA interactions were predicted, and the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory network was constructed using the Cytoscape software. The correlation between the RNAs in the ceRNA network and the clinical features of the samples was evaluated. Finally, principal component analysis was performed on the RNAs that constitute the ceRNA regulatory network, and their differential expression and principal component relationships among different types of samples were observed.

Results

A total of 224 DEmRNAs, 7 DEmiRNAs, and four DElncRNAs related to IS in four datasets were identified. Then, through target gene prediction, a lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network that contained 3 DElncRNAs, 2 DEmiRNAs, and 24 DEmRNAs was constructed. Correlations of the clinical characteristics showed that PART1 and SERPINH1 were related to clinical diseases, WNK1 was related to lifestyle, and seven RNAs were related to age. PCA results indicate that three principal components of PC1, PC2, and PC3 can clearly distinguish between control and IS samples.

Conclusion

Overall, we constructed a ceRNA network in IS, which could offer insights into the molecular mechanism and potential prognostic biomarkers for further research.

LncRNA PART1 Attenuates Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury by Regulating TFAP2C/DUSP5 Axis via miR-302a-3p

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) refers to the damage of cardiac function caused by restoration of blood flow perfusion in ischemic myocardium. However, long non-coding RNA prostate androgen regulated transcript 1 (PART1)'s role in MIRI remain unclear.

METHODS

Immunofluorescence detected LC3 expression. Intermolecular relationships were verified by dual luciferase reporter assay. 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, flow cytometry and transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assays analyzed cell viability and apoptosis. The release of lactate dehydrogenase was tested via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Left anterior descending coronary artery surgery induced a MIRI mouse model. Infarct area was detected by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. Hematoxylin and eosin staining examined myocardial injury. ELISA evaluated myocardial marker (creatine kinase MB) level.

RESULTS

PART1 was decreased in hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) induced AC16 cells and MIRI mice. PART1 upregulation attenuated the increased levels of Bax, beclin-1 and the ratio of LC3II/I, and enhanced the decrease of Bcl-2 and p62 expression in H/R-treated cells. PART1 upregulation alleviated H/R-triggered autophagy and apoptosis via miR-302a-3p. Mechanically, PART1 targeted miR-302a-3p to upregulate transcription factor activating enhancer-binding protein 2C (TFAP2C). TFAP2C silencing reversed the protected effects of miR-302a-3p inhibitor on H/R treated AC16 cells. We further established TFAP2C combined to dual-specificity phosphatase 5 (DUSP5) promoter and activated DUSP5. TFAP2C upregulation suppressed H/R-stimulated autophagy and apoptosis through upregulating DUSP5. Overexpressed PART1 reduced myocardial infarction area and attenuated MIRI in mice.

CONCLUSION

PART1 improved the autophagy and apoptosis in H/R-exposed AC16 cells through miR-302a-3p/TFAP2C/DUSP5 axis, which might provide novel targets for MIRI treatment.

Cardiac transcriptomic changes induced by early CKD in mice reveal novel pathways involved in the pathogenesis of Cardiorenal syndrome type 4

Background

Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) type 4 is prevalent among the chronic kidney disease (CKD) population, with many patients dying from cardiovascular complications. However, limited data regarding cardiac transcriptional changes induced early by CKD is available.

Methods

We used a murine unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) model to evaluate renal damage, cardiac remodeling, and transcriptional regulation at 21 days post-surgery through histological analysis, RT-qPCR, RNA-seq, and bioinformatics.

Results

UUO leads to significant kidney injury, low uremia, and pathological cardiac remodeling, evidenced by increased collagen deposition and smooth muscle alpha-actin 2 expression. RNA-seq analysis identified 76 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in UUO hearts. Upregulated DEGs were significantly enriched in cell cycle and cell division pathways, immune responses, cardiac repair, inflammation, proliferation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis further revealed mitochondrial oxidative bioenergetic pathways, autophagy, and peroxisomal pathways are downregulated in UUO hearts. Vimentin was also identified as an UUO-upregulated transcript.

Conclusions

Our results emphasize the relevance of extensive transcriptional changes, mitochondrial dysfunction, homeostasis deregulation, fatty-acid metabolism alterations, and vimentin upregulation in CRS type 4 development.

Mechanisms by which silencing long-stranded noncoding RNA KCNQ1OT1 alleviates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MI/RI)-induced cardiac injury via miR-377-3p/HMOX1

BACKGROUND

The key complication of myocardial infarction therapy is myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MI/RI), and there is no effective treatment. The present study elucidates the mechanism of action of lncRNA KCNQ1OT1 in alleviating MI/RI and provides new perspectives and therapeutic targets for cardiac injury-related diseases.

METHODS

An ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury model of human adult cardiac myocytes (HACMs) was constructed, and the expression of KCNQ1OT1 and miR-377-3p was determined by RT‒qPCR. The levels of related proteins were detected by western blot analysis. Cell proliferation was detected by a CCK-8 assay, and cell apoptosis and ROS content were determined by flow cytometry. SOD and MDA expression as well as Fe2+ changes were detected by related analysis kits. The target binding relationships between lncRNA KCNQ1OT1 and miR-377-3p as well as between miR-377-3p and heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1) were verified by a dual-luciferase reporter gene assay.

RESULTS

Myocardial ischemia‒reperfusion caused oxidative stress in HACMs, resulting in elevated ROS levels, increased Fe2+ levels, decreased cell viability, and increased LDH release (a marker of myocardial injury), and apoptosis. KCNQ1OT1 and HMOX1 were upregulated in I/R-induced myocardial injury, but the level of miR-377-3p was decreased. A dual-luciferase reporter gene assay indicated that lncRNA KCNQ1OT1 targets miR-377-3p and that miR-377-3p targets HMOX1. Inhibition of HMOX1 alleviated miR-377-3p downregulation-induced myocardial injury. Furthermore, lncRNA KCNQ1OT1 promoted the level of HMOX1 by binding to miR-377-3p and aggravated myocardial injury.

CONCLUSION

LncRNA KCNQ1OT1 aggravates ischemia‒reperfusion-induced cardiac injury via miR-377-3P/HMOX1.

Long non-coding RNA FGD5 antisense RNA 1 targets Baculovirus inhibitor 5 via microRNA-497-5p to alleviate calcific aortic valve disease

Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is featured by thickening and calcification of the aortic valve. Osteoblast differentiation is a crucial step in valve calcification. Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) participate in the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal cells. However, the character of lncRNA FGD5 antisense RNA 1 (FGD5-AS1) in CAVD is uncertain. After collection of human aortic valve tissue samples, detection of FGD5-AS1, microRNA (miR)-497-5p and Baculovirus inhibitor 5 (BIRC5) was conducted. Valve mesenchymal cells were isolated from CAVD patients and induced to differentiate to osteoblasts, and transfected with FGD5-AS1, miR-497-5p and BIRC5 plasmids. Detection of the alkaline phosphatase activity was after osteogenic induction of human aortic valve interstitial cells (hAVICs); Detection of the degree of calcium nodules and osteoblast differentiation markers (RUNX2 and OPN) was conducted. After establishment of a mouse model of CAVD, detection of the thickness of aortic valve leaflets, and the degree of calcification of the valve leaflets, and evaluation of echocardiographic parameters were implemented. Experimental data manifested in CAVD patients, lncRNAFGD5-AS1 and BIRC5 were reduced, but miR-497-5p was elevated; Enhancing lncRNA FGD5-AS1 or repressing miR-497-5p mitigated CAVD by restraining osteogenic differentiation; LncRNA FGD5-AS1 sponged miR-497-5p to target BIRC5; Repressive BIRC5 turned around the therapeutic action of elevated FGD5-AS1 or depressed miR-497-5p on hAVICs; Enhancive FGD5-AS1 in vivo was available to reduce ApoE-/- mouse CAVD induced via high cholesterol diet. All in all, lncRNAFGD5-AS1 targets BIRC5 via miR-497-5p to alleviate CAVD.

Apoptosis and long non-coding RNAs: Focus on their roles in Heart diseases

Heart disease is one of the principal death reasons around the world and there is a growing requirement to discover novel healing targets that have the potential to avert or manage these illnesses. On the other hand, apoptosis is a strongly controlled, cell removal procedure that has a crucial part in numerous cardiac problems, such as reperfusion injury, MI (myocardial infarction), consecutive heart failure, and inflammation of myocardium. Completely comprehending the managing procedures of cell death signaling is critical as it is the primary factor that influences patient mortality and morbidity, owing to cardiomyocyte damage. Indeed, the prevention of heart cell death appears to be a viable treatment approach for heart illnesses. According to current researches, a number of long non-coding RNAs cause the heart cells death via different methods that are embroiled in controlling the activity of transcription elements, the pathways that signals transmission within cells, small miRNAs, and the constancy of proteins. When there is too much cell death in the heart, it can cause problems like reduced blood flow, heart damage after restoring blood flow, heart disease in diabetics, and changes in the heart after reduced blood flow. Therefore, studying how lncRNAs control apoptosis could help us find new treatments for heart diseases. In this review, we present recent discoveries about how lncRNAs are involved in causing cell death in different cardiovascular diseases.

Inhibition of miR-143-3p alleviates myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury via limiting mitochondria-mediated apoptosis

MicroRNA (miR)-143-3p is a potential regulatory molecule in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MI/RI), wherein its expression and pathological effects remains controversial. Thus, a mouse MI/RI and cell hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) models were built for clarifying the miR-143-3p's role in MI/RI. Following myocardial ischemia for 30 min, mice underwent reperfusion for 3, 6, 12 and 24 h. It was found miR-143-3p increased in the ischemic heart tissue over time after reperfusion. Cardiomyocytes transfected with miR-143-3p were more susceptible to apoptosis. Mechanistically, miR-143-3p targeted B cell lymphoma 2 (bcl-2). And miR-143-3p inhibition reduced cardiomyocytes apoptosis upon H/R, whereas it was reversed by a specific bcl-2 inhibitor ABT-737. Of note, miR-143-3p inhibition upregulated bcl-2 with better mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm), reduced cytoplasmic cytochrome c (cyto-c) and caspase proteins, and minimized infarction area in mice upon I/R. Collectively, inhibition of miR-143-3p might alleviate MI/RI via targeting bcl-2 to limit mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. To our knowledge, this study further clarifies the miR-143-3p's pathological role in the early stages of MI/RI, and inhibiting miR-143-3p could be an effective treatment for ischemic myocardial disease.

Non-coding RNAs regulating mitochondrial function in cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of disease-related death worldwide and a significant obstacle to improving patients' health and lives. Mitochondria are core organelles for the maintenance of myocardial tissue homeostasis, and their impairment and dysfunction are considered major contributors to the pathogenesis of various CVDs, such as hypertension, myocardial infarction, and heart failure. However, the exact roles of mitochondrial dysfunction involved in CVD pathogenesis remain not fully understood. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), particularly microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, and circular RNAs, have been shown to be crucial regulators in the initiation and development of CVDs. They can participate in CVD progression by impacting mitochondria and regulating mitochondrial function-related genes and signaling pathways. Some ncRNAs also exhibit great potential as diagnostic and/or prognostic biomarkers as well as therapeutic targets for CVD patients. In this review, we mainly focus on the underlying mechanisms of ncRNAs involved in the regulation of mitochondrial functions and their role in CVD progression. We also highlight their clinical implications as biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis in CVD treatment. The information reviewed herein could be extremely beneficial to the development of ncRNA-based therapeutic strategies for CVD patients.

Glutathione system enhancement for cardiac protection: pharmacological options against oxidative stress and ferroptosis

The glutathione (GSH) system is considered to be one of the most powerful endogenous antioxidant systems in the cardiovascular system due to its key contribution to detoxifying xenobiotics and scavenging overreactive oxygen species (ROS). Numerous investigations have suggested that disruption of the GSH system is a critical element in the pathogenesis of myocardial injury. Meanwhile, a newly proposed type of cell death, ferroptosis, has been demonstrated to be closely related to the GSH system, which affects the process and outcome of myocardial injury. Moreover, in facing various pathological challenges, the mammalian heart, which possesses high levels of mitochondria and weak antioxidant capacity, is susceptible to oxidant production and oxidative damage. Therefore, targeted enhancement of the GSH system along with prevention of ferroptosis in the myocardium is a promising therapeutic strategy. In this review, we first systematically describe the physiological functions and anabolism of the GSH system, as well as its effects on cardiac injury. Then, we discuss the relationship between the GSH system and ferroptosis in myocardial injury. Moreover, a comprehensive summary of the activation strategies of the GSH system is presented, where we mainly identify several promising herbal monomers, which may provide valuable guidelines for the exploration of new therapeutic approaches.

Knockdown of lncRNA SNHG16 attenuates myocardial ischemia‑reoxygenation injury via targeting miR‑183/FOXO1 axis

Accumulating evidence shows that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are widely involved in cellular processes of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). The present study investigated the functions of lncRNA SNHG16 in myocardial I/R and the mechanism mediated by SNHG16. The myocardial I/R rat and cell model and hypoxia/reoxygenation injury (H/R) models of H9C2 cardiomyocytes were established to detect the expression of SNHG16. Cell Counting Kit-8, flow cytometric and western blot assays were conducted to detect cell viability, apoptosis and protein expression. Myocardial cell apoptosis was assessed by TUNEL staining. Dual-luciferase gene reporter was applied to determine the interaction between the molecules. The expressions of SNHG16 were upregulated in myocardial I/R injury models. Inhibition of SNHG16 relieved myocardial I/R injury in vivo and in vitro silencing of SNHG16 alleviated H/R induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis. To explore the regulatory mechanism, it was discovered that SNHG16 directly interacted with miR-183, while forkhead box O1 (FoxO1) was a target of microRNA (miR)-183. Findings from rescue assays revealed that miR-183 inhibitor and upregulation of FOXO1 can rescue the effect of sh-SNHG16 on H/R-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis. The results indicated that the lncRNA SNHG16/miR-183/FOXO1 axis exacerbated myocardial cell apoptosis in myocardial I/R injury, suggesting SNHG16 as a potential therapeutic target for myocardial I/R injury.

A review on the role of long non-coding RNA prostate androgen-regulated transcript 1 (PART1) in the etiology of different disorders

LncRNA prostate androgen-regulated transcript 1 (PART1) is an important lncRNA in the carcinogenesis whose role has been firstly unraveled in prostate cancer. Expression of this lncRNA is activated by androgen in prostate cancer cells. In addition, this lncRNA has a role in the pathogenesis intervertebral disc degeneration, myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and Parkinson's disease. Diagnostic role of PART1 has been assessed in some types of cancers. Moreover, dysregulation of PART1 expression is regarded as a prognostic factor in a variety of cancers. The current review provides a concise but comprehensive summary of the role of PART1 in different cancers and non-malignant disorders.

MicroRNA-503 Exacerbates Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury via Inhibiting PI3K/Akt- and STAT3-Dependent Prosurvival Signaling Pathways

Acute myocardial infarction is a leading cause of death worldwide, while restoration of blood flow to previously ischemic myocardium may lead to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Accumulated evidence shows that microRNAs play important roles in cardiovascular diseases. However, the potential role of microRNA-503 (miR-503) in myocardial I/R injury is little known. Thus, this study is aimed at determining whether and how miR-503 affects myocardial I/R injury in vivo and in vitro. A mouse model of myocardial I/R injury and H9c2 cell model of hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury were established. The postischemic cardiac miR-503 was downregulated in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, PI3K p85 and Bcl-2 are miR-503 targets. The post-ischemic cardiac PI3K p85 protein level was decreased in vivo. Agomir-503 treatment exacerbated H/R-induced injuries manifested as decreased cell viability, increased lactate dehydrogenase activity, and cell apoptosis. Agomir-503 treatment reduced cell viability under normoxia as well and reduced both PI3K p85 and Bcl-2 protein levels under either normoxia or H/R condition. It reduced phosphorylation of Stat3 (p-Stat3-Y705) and Akt (T450) in cells subjected to H/R. In contrast, Antagomir-503 treatment attenuated H/R injury and increased p-Stat3 (Y705) under normoxia and increased p-Akt (T450) under either normoxia or H/R condition. It is concluded that miR-503 exacerbated I/R injury via inactivation of PI3K/Akt and STAT3 pathways and may become a therapeutic target in preventing myocardial I/R injury.