Targeting the miR-665-3p-ATG4B-autophagy axis relieves inflammation and apoptosis in intestinal ischemia/reperfusion

Cell Death Dis. 2018 May 1;9(5):483. doi: 10.1038/s41419-018-0518-9.

Abstract

Autophagy is an essential cytoprotective response against pathologic stresses that selectively degrades damaged cellular components. Impaired autophagy contributes to organ injury in multiple diseases, including ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), but the exact mechanism by which impaired autophagy is regulated remains unclear. Several researchers have demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs) negatively regulate autophagy by targeting autophagy-related genes (ATGs). Therefore, the effect of ATG-related miRNAs on I/R remains a promising research avenue. In our study, we found that autophagy flux is impaired during intestinal I/R. A miRNA microarray analysis showed that miR-665-3p was highly expressed in the I/R group, which was confirmed by qRT-PCR. Then, we predicted and proved that miR-665-3p negatively regulates ATG4B expression in Caco-2 and IEC-6 cells. In ileum biopsy samples from patients with intestinal infarction, there was an inverse correlation between miR-665-3p and ATG4B expression, which supports the in vitro findings. Moreover, based on miR-665-3p regulation of autophagy in response to hypoxia/reoxygenation in vitro, gain-of-function and loss-of-function approaches were used to investigate the therapeutic potential of miR-665-3p. Additionally, we provide evidence that ATG4B is indispensable for protection upon inhibition of miR-665-3p. Finally, we observed that locked nucleic acid-modified inhibition of miR-665-3p in vivo alleviates I/R-induced systemic inflammation and apoptosis via recovery of autophagic flux. Our study highlights miR-665-3p as a novel small molecule that regulates autophagy by targeting ATG4B, suggesting that miR-665-3p inhibition may be a potential therapeutic approach against inflammation and apoptosis for the clinical treatment of intestinal I/R.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis*
  • Autophagy*
  • Autophagy-Related Proteins / genetics
  • Autophagy-Related Proteins / metabolism*
  • Caco-2 Cells
  • Cysteine Endopeptidases / genetics
  • Cysteine Endopeptidases / metabolism*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Enterocytes / metabolism
  • Enterocytes / pathology
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Humans
  • Ileum / blood supply*
  • Ileum / metabolism*
  • Ileum / pathology
  • Inflammation / genetics
  • Inflammation / metabolism
  • Inflammation / pathology
  • Inflammation / prevention & control*
  • Male
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • MicroRNAs / genetics
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism*
  • Reperfusion Injury / genetics
  • Reperfusion Injury / metabolism
  • Reperfusion Injury / pathology
  • Reperfusion Injury / prevention & control*

Substances

  • Autophagy-Related Proteins
  • MIRN665 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • ATG4B protein, human
  • Atg4b protein, mouse
  • Cysteine Endopeptidases