Center for Biotechnology and Cell Therapy, São Rafael Hospital, Salvador 41253-190, Brazil.
Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Salvador 40296-710, Brazil.
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Mar 24;22(7):3307. doi: 10.3390/ijms22073307.
Chagas disease, caused by the parasite (), remains a serious public health problem for which there is no effective treatment in the chronic stage. Intense cardiac fibrosis and inflammation are hallmarks of chronic Chagas disease cardiomyopathy (CCC). Previously, we identified upregulation of circulating and cardiac miR-21, a pro-fibrotic microRNA (miRNA), in subjects with CCC. Here, we explored the potential role of miR-21 as a therapeutic target in a model of chronic Chagas disease. PCR array-based 88 microRNA screening was performed in heart samples obtained from C57Bl/6 mice chronically infected with and serum samples collected from CCC patients. MiR-21 was found upregulated in both human and mouse samples, which was corroborated by an in silico analysis of miRNA-mRNA target prediction. In vitro miR-21 functional assays (gain-and loss-of-function) were performed in cardiac fibroblasts, showing upregulation of miR-21 and collagen expression upon transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFβ1) and stimulation, while miR-21 blockage reduced collagen expression. Finally, treatment of -infected mice with locked nucleic acid (LNA)-anti-miR-21 inhibitor promoted a significant reduction in cardiac fibrosis. Our data suggest that miR-21 is a mediator involved in the pathogenesis of cardiac fibrosis and indicates the pharmacological silencing of miR-21 as a potential therapeutic approach for CCC.
恰加斯病是由寄生虫()引起的,在慢性阶段仍然是一个严重的公共卫生问题,目前尚无有效的治疗方法。剧烈的心脏纤维化和炎症是慢性恰加斯病心肌病(CCC)的标志。以前,我们发现循环和心脏中的 miR-21 上调,miR-21 是一种促纤维化的 microRNA(miRNA),在患有 CCC 的患者中。在这里,我们探索了 miR-21 作为慢性恰加斯病模型中治疗靶点的潜在作用。在慢性感染 的 C57Bl/6 小鼠心脏样本和 CCC 患者血清样本中进行了基于 PCR 阵列的 88 种 microRNA 筛选。发现人类和小鼠样本中均上调了 miR-21,通过 miRNA-mRNA 靶预测的计算分析得到证实。在心脏成纤维细胞中进行了 miR-21 的体外功能测定(增益和功能丧失),结果显示 TGFβ1 和 刺激后 miR-21 和胶原蛋白表达上调,而 miR-21 阻断减少胶原蛋白表达。最后,用锁定核酸(LNA)-抗 miR-21 抑制剂治疗感染小鼠可显著减少心脏纤维化。我们的数据表明,miR-21 是参与心脏纤维化发病机制的介质,并表明 miR-21 的药理学沉默可能是 CCC 的一种潜在治疗方法。