Background: The objective of this study was to investigate the role of miR-744 and its target genes in ISO protection against hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) induced myocardial injury.
Methods: Rat cardiomyocytes H9c2 was used to establish an H/R model in vitro, and the level of miR-744 mRNA was detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR. CCK-8 and flow cytometry was used to detected cell viability and apoptosis. Myocardial injury markers CK-MB, cTnI, and LDH were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Online bioinformatics software miRDB and miRWalk predicts miR-744 target and its potential binding site, and verifies the target by luciferase reporter assay.
Results: After H/R induction, miR-744 mRNA level was remarkedly increased, cell viability was deceased, and apoptosis was increased (p < 0.05). Myocardial injury markers CK-MB, cTnI, and LDH expressions were also increased (p < 0.05). However, ISO pretreatment can significantly alleviate the decrease in cell viability induced by H/R, the increase of cell apoptosis, and the increase of myocardial injury markers, and it play a cardioprotective effect (p < 0.05). More importantly, elevated miR-744 remarkedly weakened the protective effect of ISO on H/R-induced myocardial injury, resulting in decreased cell viability, increased apoptosis, and elevated concentration of myocardial injury indicators (p < 0.05). Luciferase reporter assay confirmed that Sirtuins6 (SIRT6) is a potential target of miR-744 and decreased in H/R-induced myocardial injury, and ISO exposure can reverse its level (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Our findings provide new insights that ISO pretreatment can remarkedly regulate miR-744 and its downstream target SIRT6 to mitigate myocardial injury induced by H/R.
Keywords: hypoxia/reoxygenation; isoflurane; myocardial injury; miR-744.