[Animal experiment]-Exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells regulate cardiac autophagy through microRNA-21-5p and affect cardiac function in rats with myocardial ischemia

  Objective To investigate whether exosomes (exosome, Exos) secreted by mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can regulate cardiac autophagy and affect cardiac function in rats with myocardial ischemia through miR-21-5p.

  Methods In vitro, the effects of MSCs-Exos on H2O2 stimulated H9C2s were observed; cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay; apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry; and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells was detected by fluorescence microscope ; Western blot analysis of autophagy-related proteins and fluorescent GFP-LC3 to determine autophagosome formation. In the rat MI/RI model, the effects of MSCs-Exos on cell apoptosis, myocardial LC3B expression and cardiac function were examined by TUNEL measurement, immunohistochemical staining and echocardiography.

  Results In in vitro experiments, MSCs-Exos significantly increased the viability of H9C2 cells stimulated by H2O2 (P<0.05), and reduced the production of ROS and the rate of apoptosis (P<0.05). And compared with the H2O2+MSCs-Exos group, the H2O2+MSC-ExossimiR-21-5p group cell viability was significantly reduced (P<0.01), and the generation of ROS and the rate of apoptosis were significantly increased (P<0.01) . Western blot detection showed that compared with the H2O2 group, the expression of LC3B-Ⅱ/LC3B-Ⅰ and LC3B-Ⅱ in the H2O2 +MSCs-Exos group was significantly increased (P<0.01), and the expression of p62 was significantly reduced (P<0. 01); Compared with the H2O2 +MSCs-Exos group, the expression of LC3B-Ⅱ/LC3B-Ⅰ and LC3B-Ⅱ in the H2O2+MSC-ExossimiR-21-5p group was significantly reduced (P<0.05), and the expression of p62 Significantly enhanced (P<0.05). Autophagy flux results: Compared with the H2O2 group, the number of GFP-LC3 spots in the H2O2 +MSCs-Exos group increased; and compared with the H2O2 +MSCs-Exos group, the H2O2+MSC-ExossimiR-21-5p group cells The number of GFP-LC3 points present was significantly reduced (P<0.05). In vivo, RT-qPCR analysis results showed that the expression of miR-21-5p in MSCs-Exos and myocardial tissue after MI/RI was positively correlated. Compared with other groups, the expression of LC3B in MI/RI+MSCs-Exos group was significantly enhanced (P<0.01); Cardiomyocyte apoptosis was significantly reduced (P<0.01); Score shortening rate (FS%) and The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was significantly improved (P<0.05).

  Conclusion MSCs-Exos can improve the cardiac function of MI/RI rats by regulating myocardial autophagy, and its mechanism may be related to the metastasis of miR-21-5p.