MicroRNA-146b induces the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway to reduce vascular inflammation and apoptosis in myocardial infarction by targeting PTEN

Li Zhao; Xue Rong Yang; Xu Han

doi:10.3892/etm.2018.7087

MicroRNA-146b induces the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway to reduce vascular inflammation and apoptosis in myocardial infarction by targeting PTEN

Exp Ther Med. 2019 Feb;17(2):1171-1181. doi: 10.3892/etm.2018.7087. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Authors

Li Zhao¹, Xue Rong Yang², Xu Han³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, Jining No. 1 People's Hospital, Jining, Shandong 272111, P.R. China.
² Department of Nursing, Jining No. 1 People's Hospital, Jining, Shandong 272111, P.R. China.
³ Health Care Unit, Jining No. 1 People's Hospital, Jining, Shandong 272111, P.R. China.

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the function of microRNA-146b on myocardial infarction and the mechanism. An MTT assay, Annexin V/propidium iodide (PI) apoptosis assay, ELISA kits, western blot analysis and a caspase-3/8 activity assay were used to measure cell growth, vascular apoptosis inflammatory factors, and the B-cell lymphoma 2-associated X protein (Bax), phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling pathway. The expression of microRNA-146b was downregulated in the myocardial infarction rat model, compared with the control group. In an in vitro model of myocardial infarction, the downregulation of microRNA-146b increased inflammatory factors, vascular apoptosis, caspase-3/8 activity and the protein expression of Bax. MicroRNA-146b reduced vascular apoptosis, caspase-3/8 activity and the protein expression of Bax. MicroRNA-146b also regulated the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway to mediate vascular inflammation and apoptosis in myocardial infarction by PTEN. A PI3K inhibitor decreased the effect of microRNA-146b on vascular inflammation and apoptosis following myocardial infarction. In conclusion, microRNA-146b mediated vascular inflammation and apoptosis in patients with myocardial infarction, which may be associated with activation of the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway by PTEN.

Keywords: Akt; microRNA-146b; myocardial infarction; nuclear factor-κB; phosphatase and tensin homolog; phosphoinositide 3-kinase; vascular apoptosis.