Circular RNA ciRs-126 promotes hypoxia/reoxygenation cardiac injury possibly through miR-21

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Research
• Molecular Biology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) cardiac injury is a significant clinical concern.
• Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are emerging as key regulators in various biological processes, including cardiovascular diseases.
• The specific role of circRNA ciRs-126 in H/R cardiac injury remains largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the expression and function of circular RNA ciRs-126 in hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) cardiac injury.
• To elucidate the potential regulatory relationship between ciRs-126 and microRNA-21 (miR-21) in the context of cardiac injury.
• To determine the impact of ciRs-126 on H/R-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) was employed to measure ciRs-126 and miR-21 expression in plasma samples from H/R patients and healthy controls.
• Linear regression analysis was used to assess the correlation between ciRs-126 and miR-21 levels.
• In vitro experiments involved overexpressing ciRs-126 and miR-21 in cardiomyocytes to study their interactions and effects on H/R-induced apoptosis.

Main Results:

• CiRs-126 expression was significantly upregulated, while miR-21 expression was downregulated in plasma samples from H/R patients compared to healthy controls.
• A significant inverse correlation was observed between ciRs-126 and miR-21 levels in H/R patient plasma.
• In H/R cardiomyocytes, ciRs-126 upregulation led to decreased miR-21 levels and exacerbated H/R-induced apoptosis, while ciRs-126 overexpression reduced the protective effect of miR-21 overexpression.

Conclusions:

• Circular RNA ciRs-126 is upregulated in hypoxia/reoxygenation cardiac injury.
• CiRs-126 may exert its detrimental effects by suppressing miR-21 expression.
• These findings suggest that ciRs-126 plays a pro-apoptotic role in H/R cardiac injury, potentially through the ciRs-126/miR-21 axis.