MiR-204 inhibits inflammation and cell apoptosis in retinopathy rats with diabetic retinopathy by regulating Bcl-2 and SIRT1 expressions.

OBJECTIVE:To explore the influences of micro ribonucleic acid (miR)-204 on the rats with diabetic retinopathy by regulating the expressions of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and sirtuin 1 (SIRT1). MATERIALS AND METHODS:A total of 36 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into normal group (n=12), model group (n=12), and miR-204 mimics group (n=12). No treatment was performed in the normal group, the diabetic retinopathy model was established in model group, and miR-204 mimics were administered for intervention after modeling in the inhibitor group. After 7 d, materials were sampled for detection. The expressions of Bcl-2 and SIRT1 were detected via immunohistochemistry, and their relative protein expression levels were determined via Western blotting (WB). Quantitative (qPCR) was performed to detect the expression of miR-204, and the content of inflammatory factors interleukin (IL)-6, IL-18, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Finally, cell apoptosis was evaluated via terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). RESULTS:Immunohistochemistry results showed that the positive expression levels of Bcl-2 and SIRT1 were substantially lower in the model and miR-204 mimics groups than those in the normal group (p<0.05), and their positive expression levels in miR-204 mimics group were notably higher than those in model group (p<0.05). According to Western blot (WB) results, the relative protein expression levels of Bcl-2 and SIRT1 markedly declined in the other two groups compared with those in the normal group (p<0.05), while miR-204 mimics group exhibited remarkably higher relative protein expression levels of Bcl-2 and SIRT1 than the model group (p<0.05). The results of qPCR revealed that the relative expression level of miR-204 was markedly lowered in model and miR-204 mimics groups compared with that in the normal group (p<0.05), and its relative expression level in miR-204 mimics group was remarkably higher than that in the model group. It was found through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that compared with normal group, the other two groups had substantially increased content of IL-6, IL-18, and TNF-α (p<0.05), and the content of IL-6, IL-18, and TNF-α in miR-204 mimics group was markedly lower than that in the model group (p<0.05). According to TUNEL results, the apoptosis rate of cells rose substantially in the other two groups compared with that in the normal group (p<0.05), while was notably lower in the miR-204 mimics group than that in the model group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS:MiR-204 up-regulates Bcl-2 and SIRT1 expressions to inhibit the inflammation and cell apoptosis in rats with diabetic retinopathy.

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