MicroRNA‑494 inhibits apoptosis of murine vascular smooth muscle cells in vitro

Discovery of mmu-lncRNA129814/hsa-lncRNA582795 as a Potential Biomarker and Intervention Target for Ischemia Reperfusion Injury-Induced AKI

Background

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with higher perioperative mortality and morbidity, as well as increased medical expenses. The molecular mechanisms underlying ischemia-reperfusion (I/R)-induced AKI remain unclear.

Methods and Results

We applied an RT-qPCR assay to measure the expression of mmu-lncRNA129814, hsa-lncRNA582795, and miRNA-494-5p, immunoblotting to detect IL-1α and cleaved caspase-3 expression, and TUNEL staining and flow cytometry (FCM) to evaluate apoptosis. The experiments were conducted using BUMPT and HK-2 cells, as well as C57BL/6J mice. Mechanistically, mmu-lncRNA129814 could sponge miRNA-494-5p and upregulate IL-1α expression to promote cell apoptosis. Furthermore, knockdown of mmu-lncRNA129814 ameliorated I/R-induced progression of AKI by targeting the miRNA-494-5p/IL-1α pathways. Interestingly, hsa-lncRNA582795, a homolog of mmu-lncRNA129814, also promoted I/R-stimulated HK-2 cell apoptosis and AKI progression by regulating the miRNA-494-5p/IL-1α axis. Finally, we found that patients with I/R-induced AKI exhibited significantly elevated plasma and urinary levels of hsa-lncRNA582795 compared to those who underwent ischemia-reperfusion without developing AKI. Spearman's test demonstrated a significant correlation between serum creatinine and plasma hsa-lncRNA582795 in I/R patients. Plasma hsa-lncRNA582795 showed high sensitivity but low specificity (86.7%) compared to urinary hsa-lncRNA582795.

Conclusion

The mmu-lncRNA129814/hsa-lncRNA582795/miRNA-494-5p/IL-1α axis was found to modulate the progression of ischemic AKI, and hsa-lncRNA582795 could act as a diagnosis biomarker and potential therapy target of I/R-induced AKI.

Key miRNAs associated with memory and learning disorder upon exposure to sevoflurane determined by RNA sequencing

The study aimed to identify differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) and explore the mechanisms governing impaired memory and learning ability in developing brains exposed to sevoflurane. A total of six 7‑day‑old male ICR mice were randomly assigned into the sevoflurane anesthesia group (treated with 2.4% sevoflurane) or control group (treated with normal saline solution at the same dose). After 14 days, the mice were subjected to a Morris water maze experiment. Then, the animals were sacrificed and hippocampus tissues were isolated. RNAs in hippocampus tissues were sequenced and the differential miRNA expression profiles were identified by a bioinformatics approach. The learning and memory function of mice were significantly affected by sevoflurane exposure. A total of 18 miRNAs were found to be significantly affected by sevoflurane administration. Their target genes clustered into different functional groups, such as 'dephosphorylation', 'vesicle localization' and the 'Wnt signaling pathway'. miR‑101b‑3p was closely related with 'chromatin binding' and 'protein serine/threonine kinase activity'. The most represented pathways for miRNAs included 'neuroactive ligand‑receptor interaction' (miR‑1187), 'long‑term depression' (miR‑425‑5p), 'FoxO signaling pathway' (miR‑425‑5p) and the 'neurotrophin signaling pathway' (miR‑467a‑3p). miR‑467a‑3p (degree=89), miR‑101b‑3p (degree=59), and miR‑1187 (degree=51) were the hub nodes in the miRNA regulatory network. The Wnt signaling pathway, miR‑467a‑3p, miR‑1187 and miR‑101b‑3p may be therapeutic targets for preventing cognitive impairments induced by sevoflurane.