MicroRNAs Expression and Function in Cerebral Ischemia Reperfusion Injury

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small (18 ~ 25 nt) noncoding single-stranded RNA molecules that act as negative regulators of gene expression and modulating the stability and/or the translational efficiency of target messenger RNAs. Studies have shown that miRNAs control diverse aspects of brain disease. Recently, several studies have suggested that miRNAs alter the response to ischemia reperfusion injury and regulate the expression of various key elements in cell survival and apoptosis. This review article gives a brief overview of some miRNAs (miR-15a/b, miR-21, miR-29b/c, miR-124, miR-145, miR-181, miR-200 family, miR-338, miR-422a, miR-497, and miR let 7 family) in cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury. Although miRNAs could be potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of ischemia reperfusion injury, their safety and other limitations need further confirmation.

Elevation of miR-21, through targeting MKK3, may be involved in ischemia pretreatment protection from ischemia–reperfusion induced kidney injury

“…miR-21 is highly up-regulated in hypoxia and plays an important role in cell growth and proliferation [13]. miR-21 is involved in various pathological and physical processes, inhibiting inflammation and apoptosis via down-regulation of target genes [14][15][16][17][18]. miR-21 plays a number of roles in solid cancers [19].…”

Effects of Focal Cerebral Ischemia on Exosomal Versus Serum miR126

“…Furthermore, miR-126 has also been associated with the progression of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and atherosclerosis [29][30][31]. In contrast, our data demonstrate that after transient ischemia, miR-126 is positively correlated with infarct size and reperfusion, which may be associated with an inflammatory response [32,33]. Hence, downstream inflammatory targets of miR-126 may be especially relevant for reperfusion injury.…”

“…Taken together, our findings may be consistent with the overall idea that miR-126 responses contribute to the balance between beneficial and detrimental effects of reperfusion. Further investigations into the mechanistic role of miR-126 or other miRNAs in ischemia and reperfusion injury will be useful [32].…”

The interplay of microRNAs and post-ischemic glutamate excitotoxicity: an emergent research field in stroke medicine

“…Although findings about the role of miR-124 in stroke is controversial [61][62][63], some studies show that the expression level of miR-124 increases in ischemic penumbra in comparison to non-ischemic territory of middle cerebral artery occlusion model of mice and this miRNA is protective in neurons against the brain injury in experimental stroke models (Table 1) [59,62,64]. Also, it has been demonstrated that miR-124 could be detected in plasma after stroke and could be of diagnostic value [17,65].…”