MiR-10a, 27a, 34b/c, and 300 Polymorphisms are Associated with Ischemic Stroke Susceptibility and Post-Stroke Mortality

Effects of electroacupuncture on imaging and behavior in rats with ischemic stroke through miR-212-5p

BACKGROUND

Ischemic stroke is a serious disease leading to significant disability in humans worldwide. Increasing evidence suggests that some microRNAs (miRNAs) participate in the pathophysiology of ischemic stroke. A key role for MiR-212 has been found in neuronal function and synaptic plasticity. Ischemic stroke can be effectively treated with electroacupuncture (EA); however, there is a lack of understanding of the relevant mechanisms. In this study, we employed behavioral test and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to detect behavioral and brain function alterations in rats suffering from ischemic stroke. The efficacy of EA therapy and miR-212-5p's role in this process were also evaluated.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Forty rats were randomly divided into the following groups: Sham, middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R), MCAO/R + EA, MCAO/R + EA + antagomir-negative control and MCAO/R + EA + antagomir-212-5p groups. Behavioral changes were assessed by Catwalk gait analysis prior to and after modeling. Rs-fMRI was performed at one week after EA treatment, amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) were calculated to reveal neural activity. Furthermore, neuronal apoptosis in the ischemic penumbra was analyzed using a TUNEL assay. Treatment with EA significantly improved the performance of rats in the behavioral test. The motor and cognition-related brain regions showed decreased ALFF and ReHo following focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion, and EA treatment could reactivate these brain regions. Moreover, EA treatment significantly decreased MCAO/R-induced cell death. However, the transfection of antagomir-212-5p attenuated the therapeutic effect of EA.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, the results suggested that EA improved the behavioral and imaging outcomes of ischemic stroke through miR-212-5p.

MicroRNA-124-3p alleviates cerebral ischaemia-induced neuroaxonal damage by enhancing Nrep expression

OBJECTIVE

Ischaemic stroke has a high death rate and frequently results in long-term and severe brain damage in survivors. miRNA-124-3p (miR-124-3p) treatment has been suggested to reduce ischaemia and play a vital function in avoiding neuron death. An investigation of the role of miR-124-3p, in the ischaemia damage repair or protection in the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model and oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) model, was the purpose of this research.

METHODS

The expression of miRNA and mRNA in the MCAO model was predicted using bioinformatics analysis. The OGD/R neuronal model was developed. We examined the influence of a number of compounds on the OGD/R model in vitro using gain- and loss-of-function approaches.

RESULTS

For starters, miR-124-3p and Nrep level in the MCAO model were found to be lower in the model predicted by bioinformatics than in the sham-operated group. And then in the OGD/R model, miR-124-3p treatment reduced OGD/R neuronal damage, increased neuronal survival, and reduced apoptosis in cell lines. Moreover, we further looked at the impact of miR-124-3p on downstream Rnf38 and Nrep using the OGD/R model. Western blot analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assays indicated that miR-124-3p binds and inhibits Rnf38. Finally, although Nrep expression was reduced in the OGD/R model neuronal model, it was shown that miR-124-3p administration reduced apoptosis and increased neuronal activity, particularly with regard to axon regeneration-related proteins.

CONCLUSION

Our studies have shown that miR-124-3p may reduce neuronal injury by preventing Rnf38-mediated effects on the Nrep axis.

hsa-miR-518-5p/hsa-miR-3135b Regulates the REL/SOD2 Pathway in Ischemic Cerebral Infarction

Objectives

Ischemic cerebral infarction (ICI) is a fatal neurovascular disorder. A bioinformatics approach based on single-cell and bulk RNA-seq analyses was applied to investigate the pathways and genes involved in ICI and study the expression profile of these genes.

Methods

First, the aberrantly regulated “small-molecule ribonucleic acids” [microRNA (miRNAs)] and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) were analyzed using transcriptome data from the ischemic brain infarction dataset of the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. In mouse cerebrovascular monocytes, the single-cell regulatory network inference and clustering (SCENIC) workflow was used to identify key transcription factors (TFs). Then, the two miRNA-TF-mRNA interaction networks were constructed. Moreover, the molecular complex detection (MCODE) extracted the core sub-networks and identified the important TFs within these sub-networks. Finally, whole blood samples were collected for validation of the expression of critical molecules in ICI.

Results

We identified four cell types and 266 regulons in mouse cerebrovascular monocytes using SCENIC analysis. Moreover, 112 differently expressed miRNAs and 3,780 differentially expressed mRNAs were identified. We discovered potential biomarkers in ICI by building a miRNA-TF-mRNA interaction network. The hsa-miR-518-5p/hsa-miR-3135b/REL/SOD2 was found to play a potential role in ICI progression. The expression of REL and superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) was significantly elevated in the ICI group in the clinical cohort (P < 0.05). Furthermore, a REL expression was elevated in endothelial cells and fibroblasts at the single-cell level, indicating that REL is a cell-specific regulon. Functional enrichment analyses revealed that REL is primarily engaged in neurotransmitter activity and oxidative phosphorylation.

Conclusions

Our research uncovered novel biomarkers for ICI of neurovascular disease. The hsa-miR-518-5p/hsa-miR-3135b may regulate the REL/SOD2 pathway in ICI progression.

New Drug Targets to Prevent Death Due to Stroke: A Review Based on Results of Protein-Protein Interaction Network, Enrichment, and Annotation Analyses

This study used established biomarkers of death from ischemic stroke (IS) versus stroke survival to perform network, enrichment, and annotation analyses. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis revealed that the backbone of the highly connective network of IS death consisted of IL6, ALB, TNF, SERPINE1, VWF, VCAM1, TGFB1, and SELE. Cluster analysis revealed immune and hemostasis subnetworks, which were strongly interconnected through the major switches ALB and VWF. Enrichment analysis revealed that the PPI immune subnetwork of death due to IS was highly associated with TLR2/4, TNF, JAK-STAT, NOD, IL10, IL13, IL4, and TGF-β1/SMAD pathways. The top biological and molecular functions and pathways enriched in the hemostasis network of death due to IS were platelet degranulation and activation, the intrinsic pathway of fibrin clot formation, the urokinase-type plasminogen activator pathway, post-translational protein phosphorylation, integrin cell-surface interactions, and the proteoglycan-integrin extracellular matrix complex (ECM). Regulation Explorer analysis of transcriptional factors shows: (a) that NFKB1, RELA and SP1 were the major regulating actors of the PPI network; and (b) hsa-mir-26-5p and hsa-16-5p were the major regulating microRNA actors. In conclusion, prevention of death due to IS should consider that current IS treatments may be improved by targeting VWF, the proteoglycan-integrin-ECM complex, TGF-β1/SMAD, NF-κB/RELA and SP1.

Identification of miRNAs That Mediate Protective Functions of Anti-Cancer Drugs During White Matter Ischemic Injury

We have previously shown that two anti-cancer drugs, CX-4945 and MS-275, protect and preserve white matter (WM) architecture and improve functional recovery in a model of WM ischemic injury. While both compounds promote recovery, CX-4945 is a selective Casein kinase 2 (CK2) inhibitor and MS-275 is a selective Class I histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor. Alterations in microRNAs (miRNAs) mediate some of the protective actions of these drugs. In this study, we aimed to (1) identify miRNAs expressed in mouse optic nerves (MONs); (2) determine which miRNAs are regulated by oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD); and (3) determine the effects of CX-4945 and MS-275 treatment on miRNA expression. RNA isolated from MONs from control and OGD-treated animals with and without CX-4945 or MS-275 treatment were quantified using NanoString nCounter^® miRNA expression profiling. Comparative analysis of experimental groups revealed that 12 miRNAs were expressed at high levels in MONs. OGD upregulated five miRNAs (miR-1959, miR-501-3p, miR-146b, miR-201, and miR-335-3p) and downregulated two miRNAs (miR-1937a and miR-1937b) compared to controls. OGD with CX-4945 upregulated miR-1937a and miR-1937b, and downregulated miR-501-3p, miR-200a, miR-1959, and miR-654-3p compared to OGD alone. OGD with MS-275 upregulated miR-2134, miR-2141, miR-2133, miR-34b-5p, miR-153, miR-487b, miR-376b, and downregulated miR-717, miR-190, miR-27a, miR-1959, miR-200a, miR-501-3p, and miR-200c compared to OGD alone. Interestingly, miR-501-3p and miR-1959 were the only miRNAs upregulated by OGD, and downregulated by OGD plus CX-4945 and MS-275. Therefore, we suggest that protective functions of CX-4945 or MS-275 against WM injury maybe mediated, in part, through miRNA expression.

Circulating miR-155 and JAK2/STAT3 Axis in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients and Its Relation to Post-Ischemic Inflammation and Associated Ischemic Stroke Risk Factors

Background

“Micro RNAs and their target genes recently have been identified to play a crucial role in the molecular pathogenesis of post-stroke ischemic cellular injury, which elucidates their new role in ischemic stroke diagnosis and therapy”. Thus, we evaluated the relative serum expression of miR-155, an inflammatory micro RNA, and the mRNAs (JAK2/STAT3) in acute ischemic stroke patients and its associations with the inflammatory cytokine TNF-α and different stroke risk factors.

Subjects and Methods

The relative expression of serum miR-155 and mRNAs (JAK2/STAT3) was assessed using RT-PCR, serum TNF-α was measured using ELIZA in 46 acute ischemic stroke patients and 50 control subjects. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed to assess the specificity and sensitivity of circulating miR-155, JAK2/STAT3 as biomarkers for acute ischemic stroke.

Results

Circulating miR-155, JAK2/STAT3 were significantly up-regulated among stroke patients (8.5, 2.9, 4.2 fold respectively, P<0.001) with significant increase in TNF-α (263.8 ± 10.7 pg/mL, P <0.001). MiR-155, JAK2/STAT3 were positively correlated with TNF-α. MiR-155, JAK2/STAT3 were significantly increased in stroke patients and associated with risk factors such as hypertension, carotid atherosclerosis, and atrial fibrillation. Our study revealed that miR-155 has diagnostic accuracy for acute ischemic stroke where AUC=0.9, (P<0.001).

Conclusion

The elevated expressions of circulating miR-155, JAK2/STAT3, and TNF-α in acute ischemic stroke patients could trigger post-stroke cellular inflammation. MiR-155 could be used as potential inflammatory biomarker for acute ischemic stroke. However, further clinical studies are still needed to determine the exact role of miRNAs and different signal transduction expressions in the stage of acute ischemic stroke.

Factors That Affect Symptoms of Injection Site Infection among Japanese Patients Who Self-Inject Insulin for Diabetes

In Japan, skin disinfection is typically considered necessary before an insulin injection to prevent infection at the injection site. This cross-sectional study evaluated factors that influenced symptoms of injection site infection among 238 Japanese patients who self-injected insulin for diabetes between October 2015 and January 2016. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data regarding skin disinfection practices, infection symptoms at the injection site, frequency of injections, environment at the time of injection, and hygiene habits. The majority of patients (83.2%) performed skin disinfection before the self-injection. Logistic regression analysis revealed that infection at the injection site was positively associated with skin disinfection before injection, age, and performing injections outside home. It was speculated that omitting skin disinfection before administering subcutaneous insulin injection was not the factor that affected the symptoms of injection site infection. The greatest contributor to infection symptoms was injections performed outside the home. Future studies focusing on the environment, in which patients administer insulin injections, to assess its influence on symptoms of injection site infections are warranted.