microRNA-208a in an early stage myocardial infarction rat model and the effect on cAMP-PKA signaling pathway

The expression level of microRNA-208a (miR-208a) in a rat model with myocardial infarction and the effect of cAMP-PKA signaling pathway in early stage of myocardial infarction in rats were investigated. The early myocardial infarction model was established in 12 male Sprague-Dawley rats by ligation of the anterior descending coronary artery, and 12 rats were selected as the control group (sham operation group). Reverse-transcription quantitative PCR was conducted to detect the expression levels of miR-208a in the myocardium of and the expression levels of miR-208a in the serum of rats in the two groups. Western blot analysis was used to evaluate the expression levels of cAMP-PKA protein in the rat tissues in the two groups. After stimulating high levels of miR-208a expression in human myocardial cells (HCM), western blot analysis was used to detect the cAMP-PKA protein levels. The expression levels of miR-208a in myocardial tissues in rats with myocardial infarction were significantly higher than those in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The expression levels of miR-208a in the early stage of myocardial infarction rats were also significantly higher than those in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The level of cAMP-PKA protein in myocardial tissue in rats with chronic myocardial infarction was also significantly higher. Transfection of human myocardial cells with miR-208a analogue significantly increased the cAMP-PKA protein levels in human myocardial cells. In conclusion, the over expression of miR-208a in myocardial infarction tissue and the high levels of this miRNA in the serum, may be involved in the process of myocardial infarction by influencing the cAMP-PKA signaling pathway in myocardial cells.