BackgroundParkinson disease (PD) is the most common movement disturbance characterized by the loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in midbrain. Metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) is aberrantly expressed in neurons and is involved in the dendritic and synapse development. However, the role of MALAT1 and its underlying mechanism in PD remain to be defined.MethodsThe expressions of MALAT1 and miR-124 were evaluated by qRT-PCR. N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced PD mice and SH-SY5Y cells subjected to N-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) were utilized to investigate the effect of MALAT1 on PD. TUNEL assay was performed to detect apoptosis of DA neurons in PD mice. Flow cytometry analysis was carried out to measure apoptosis of SH-SY5Y cells. Caspase3 activity and Cleaved Caspase3 expression were tested by caspase3 assay kit and western blot, respectively. TargetScan software and luciferase reporter assay were used to explore the relationship between MALAT1 and miR-124.ResultsMALAT1 was up-regulated and miR-124 was down-regulated in MPTP-induced PD mice and MPP+-treated SH-SY5Y cells. MALAT1 knockdown attenuated MPTP-induced apoptosis of DA neurons in MPTP-induced PD mouse model. MALAT1 interacted with miR-124 to negatively regulate its expression. MALAT1 knockdown suppressed MPP+-induced apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells, while miR-124 downregulation abrogated this effect. Moreover, MALAT1 knockdown improved miR-124 expression in MPTP/MPP+ induced models of PD.ConclusionsMALAT1 promotes the apoptosis by sponging miR-124 in mouse models of PD and in vitro model of PD, providing a potential theoretical foundation for the clinical application of MALAT1 against PD.
The aberrantly expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) including miR-200a-3p have been reported in the brains of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients in recent researches. Nevertheless, the role of miR-200a-3p in AD has not been characterized. The purpose of this study was to examine whether miR-200a-3p regulated β-Ameyloid (A β)-induced neuronal apoptosis by targeting SIRT1, a known anti-apoptotic protein. An increased level of miR-200a-3p and a decreased level of SIRT1 in the hippocampus of APPswe/PS delta E9 mice (a model for AD) were observed. To construct an in vitro cell model of AD, PC12 cells were cultured in presence of A β . The results of flow cytometry analysis showed that the apoptosis rate and cleaved-caspase-3 expression in PC12 cells exposed to A β were remarkably increased, but the apoptosis rate and cleaved-caspase-3 activity were decreased when cells were transfected with anti-miR-200a-3p. On the other hand, MTT assay showed that the cell survival rate was increased in the A β + anti-miR-200a-3p group compared with the A β + anti-miR-NC group. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay validated the predicted miR-200a-3p binding sites in the 3'- UTR of SIRT1 mRNA. In addition, downregulation of SIRT1 promoted A β-induced neuronal apoptosis and cleavedcaspase- 3 level in PC12 cells, whereas anti-miR-200a-3p reversed these effects. Knockdown of SIRT1 decreased the inhibitory effect of A β on cell viability, while anti-miR-200a-3p attenuated this effect. Overall, the results suggest that suppression of miR-200a-3p attenuates A β-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells by targeting SIRT1. Thus, miR-200a-3p may be a potential therapeutic target for treatment of AD.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.