Sevoflurane up-regulates miR-7a to protect against ischemic brain injury in rats by down-regulating ATG7 and reducing neuronal autophagy

Insights on E1-like enzyme ATG7: functional regulation and relationships with aging-related diseases

Autophagy is a dynamic self-renovation biological process that maintains cell homeostasis and is responsible for the quality control of proteins, organelles, and energy metabolism. The E1-like ubiquitin-activating enzyme autophagy-related gene 7 (ATG7) is a critical factor that initiates classic autophagy reactions by promoting the formation and extension of autophagosome membranes. Recent studies have identified the key functions of ATG7 in regulating the cell cycle, apoptosis, and metabolism associated with the occurrence and development of multiple diseases. This review summarizes how ATG7 is precisely programmed by genetic, transcriptional, and epigenetic modifications in cells and the relationship between ATG7 and aging-related diseases.

The autophagy in ischemic stroke: A regulatory role of non-coding-RNAs

Ischemic stroke (IS) is a central nervous system neurological disorder ascribed to an acute focal trauma, with high mortality and disability, leading to a heavy burden on family and society. Autophagy is a self-digesting process by which damaged organelles and useless proteins are recycled to maintain cellular homeostasis, and plays a pivotal role in the process of IS. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), mainly contains microRNA, long non-coding RNA and circular RNA, have been extensively investigated on regulation of autophagy in human diseases. Recent studies have implied that ncRNAs-regulating autophagy participates in pathophysiological process of IS, including cell apoptosis, inflammation, oxidative stress, blood-brain barrier damage and glial activation, which indicates that regulating autophagy by ncRNAs may be beneficial for IS treatment. This review summarizes the role of autophagy in IS, as well as focuses on the role of ncRNAs-mediated autophagy in IS, for the development of potential therapeutic strategies in this disease.