Unlocking the miRNA-34a-5p/TGF-β and HMGB1/PI3K/Akt/mTOR crosstalk participate in the enhanced cardiac protection of liraglutide against isoproterenol-induced acute myocardial injury rat model

Int Immunopharmacol. 2024 Jan 25:127:111369. doi: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.111369. Epub 2023 Dec 15.

Abstract

Liraglutide (LIRA), a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus that belongs to the glucagon-like peptide-1 class, has recently drawn attention for its potential cardioprotective properties because of its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. This current investigation was designed to assess the impact of LIRA on myocardial injury induced by isoproterenol (ISO). The experiment included 24 male Wistar rats in total, and they were divided into four groups: Control, LIRA (200 µg/kg/12 hrs., S.C.), ISO (85 mg/kg, S.C.), and ISO + LIRA. To assess the results, various biochemical and histopathological analyses were carried out. The findings showed elevated serum enzyme levels, a sign of cardiac injury. ISO-treated rats showed an upregulation of oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers like MDA, MPO, nitrites, NADPH oxidase, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, 8-Hydroxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and TGF-β, as well as altered gene expressions like TLR-1 and miRNA-34a-5p. According to western blotting analysis, protein levels of AKT, PI3K, and mTOR were obviously enhanced. Additionally, ISO-treated samples showed altered tissue morphology, elevated caspase 3, and decreased Bcl2 concentrations. The levels of these dysregulated parameters were significantly normalized by LIRA therapy, demonstrating its cardioprotective function against ISO-induced myocardial injury in rats. This protective mechanism was linked to anti-inflammatory properties, redox balance restoration, and modulation of the miRNA-34a-5p/TGF-β pathway.

Keywords: Akt; Cardiotoxicity; HMGB1; Isoproterenol; Liraglutide; PI3K; TGF-β; mTOR; miRNA-34a-5p.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / metabolism
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacology
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* / metabolism
  • HMGB1 Protein* / metabolism
  • Isoproterenol
  • Liraglutide / metabolism
  • Liraglutide / pharmacology
  • Liraglutide / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • MicroRNAs* / metabolism
  • Myocardium / pathology
  • Oxidative Stress
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta / metabolism

Substances

  • Isoproterenol
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Liraglutide
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta
  • HMGB1 Protein
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • MicroRNAs
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • mTOR protein, rat