MicroRNA-128 inhibition attenuates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis by the targeted activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of microRNA (miR)-128 inhibition on the targeted activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG) and on cardiomyocyte apoptosis induced by myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. In vitro, the expression of PPARG was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs) and HEK293 cells transfected with the mimics or inhibitors of miR-128 or control RNA. Luciferase reporter assays were used to identify whether PPARG is a direct target of miR-128. In vivo, miR-128 was knocked down via ear vein injection of antagomir-128 in a rabbit myocardial I/R injury model. Western blotting investigated the activation of Akt [phosphorylated (p)-Akt] and the expression of total-Akt, PPARG and myeloid leukemia cell differentiation protein-1 (Mcl-1) in the myocardium. Cardiomyocyte apoptosis was examined with transmission electron microscropy and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling staining. PPARG mRNA and protein were downregulated in NRVMs transfected with miR-128 mimics, but upregulated by antagomir-128 compared with control. This indicates that PPARG is a direct miR-128 target. Activation of Akt (p-Akt), Mcl-1 and PPARG expression in the myocardium were increased by miR-128 inhibition. Furthermore, miR-128 antagomirs significantly reduced apoptosis in hearts subjected to I/R injury, which was blocked by the PPARG inhibitor GW9662. In conclusion, miR-128 inhibition attenuated I/R injury-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis by the targeted activation of PPARG signaling.