Downregulation of miR‐21 is Involved in Direct Actions of Ursolic Acid on the Heart: Implications for Cardiac Fibrosis and Hypertrophy. Issue 4 (7th July 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Dong, Xingli; Liu, Shangkun; Zhang, Lingling; Yu, Siming; Huo, Linman; Qile, Muge; Liu, Lu; Yang, Baofeng; Yu, Jinling
• Is Part Of: Cardiovascular therapeutics. Volume 33:Issue 4(2015:Aug.)
• Page Start: 161
• Page End: 167
• Publication Date: 2015-07-07
• Subjects: Cardiovascular pharmacology -- Periodicals; Cardiovascular agents -- Periodicals; Cardiovascular system -- Diseases -- Chemotherapy -- Periodicals; Cardiovascular Agents -- Periodicals; Cardiovascular Diseases -- drug therapy -- Periodicals; Agents cardiovasculaires -- Périodiques; Appareil cardiovasculaire -- Maladies -- Chimiothérapie -- Périodiques; 616.1005
• DOI: 10.1111/1755-5922.12125
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1755-5914

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="cdr12125-abs-0001"> <title>Summary</title> <sec id="cdr12125-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Purpose</title> <p>Myocardial fibrosis contributes to cardiac remodeling and loss of cardiac function in myocardial infarction and heart failure. This study used <italic>in vitro</italic> and <italic>in vivo</italic> models to examine the effects of ursolic acid (UA) on myocardial fibrosis and to explore its potential mechanism.</p> </sec> <sec id="cdr12125-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>Transverse aortic constriction (TAC) surgery was performed in mice to induce cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. UA was orally administered 1 week prior to TAC. Two weeks after TAC, myocardial pathology was detected using Masson's trichrome staining and transmission electron microscopy, and heart‐to‐body weight ratio was measured. For <italic>in vitro</italic> studies, cultured cardiac fibroblasts were treated with serum in the presence or absence of UA. The relative levels of miR‐21 and p‐ERK/ERK, collagen content and cell viability were measured.</p> </sec> <sec id="cdr12125-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Ursolic acid attenuated pathological cardiac hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosis <italic>in vivo</italic> induced by TAC. Downregulation of miR‐21 and p‐ERK/ERK were observed in myocardial fibroblasts treated with UA in a dose‐dependent manner compared with the control group both <italic>in vitro</italic> and <italic>in vivo</italic>.</p> </sec> <sec id="cdr12125-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>Our study demonstrates that UA can inhibit myocardial fibrosis both <italic>in vitro</italic> and <italic>in vivo</italic>, and the effects of UA on myocardial fibrosis may be due to the inhibition of miR‐21/ERK signaling pathways.</p> </sec> </abstract>