Cardioprotective effects of miR-34a silencing in a rat model of doxorubicin toxicity

Sci Rep. 2020 Jul 23;10(1):12250. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-69038-3.

Abstract

Cardiotoxicity remains a serious problem in anthracycline-treated oncologic patients. Therapeutic modulation of microRNA expression is emerging as a cardioprotective approach in several cardiovascular pathologies. MiR-34a increased in animals and patients exposed to anthracyclines and is involved in cardiac repair. In our previous study, we demonstrated beneficial effects of miR-34a silencing in rat cardiac cells exposed to doxorubicin (DOXO). The aim of the present work is to evaluate the potential cardioprotective properties of a specific antimiR-34a (Ant34a) in an experimental model of DOXO-induced cardiotoxicity. Results indicate that in our model systemic administration of Ant34a completely silences miR-34a myocardial expression and importantly attenuates DOXO-induced cardiac dysfunction. Ant34a systemic delivery in DOXO-treated rats triggers an upregulation of prosurvival miR-34a targets Bcl-2 and SIRT1 that mediate a reduction of DOXO-induced cardiac damage represented by myocardial apoptosis, senescence, fibrosis and inflammation. These findings suggest that miR-34a therapeutic inhibition may have clinical relevance to attenuate DOXO-induced toxicity in the heart of oncologic patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / adverse effects*
  • Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / therapeutic use
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Apoptosis / genetics
  • Cardiotoxicity / diagnosis
  • Cardiotoxicity / etiology*
  • Cardiotoxicity / prevention & control*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cellular Senescence / drug effects
  • Cellular Senescence / genetics
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Doxorubicin / adverse effects*
  • Doxorubicin / therapeutic use
  • Fibrosis
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
  • Gene Silencing*
  • Genes, bcl-2
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease*
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • Models, Biological
  • Myocardium / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Sirtuin 1 / genetics

Substances

  • Antibiotics, Antineoplastic
  • MIRN34 microRNA, rat
  • MicroRNAs
  • Doxorubicin
  • Sirtuin 1