miR-29b-3p inhibits post-infarct cardiac fibrosis by targeting FOS

Background: Cardiac fibrosis after myocardial infarction (MI) is a major cause of heart deterioration. Recently, the roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in various cardiovascular diseases associated with cardiac fibrosis have been extensively investigated. The present study aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of miR-29b-3p in cardiac fibrosis after MI. Methods: miR-29b-3p expression in TGF-β1-activated cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) was detected by qRT-PCR. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and Trans-well assays were performed to evaluate CFs proliferation and migration ability, respectively. Protein expressions of α-SMA, collagen I, collagen III, MMP2, and MMP9 were examined by Western blot assay. Bioinformatics, luciferase, and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays were carried out to determine whether FOS was targeted by miR-29b-3p. Results: TGF-β1 treatment dose-dependently curbed miR-29b-3p expression in CFs. miR-29b-3p restrained the promotive impacts of TGF-β1 on CFs proliferation, migration, and differentiation. FOS was affirmed to be a target of miR-29b-3p, elevated expression of FOS reversed the inhibitory effects of miR-29b-3p on cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation in TGF-β1-activated CFs. Conclusion: miR-29b-3p degraded the pro-fibrosis effect induced by TGF-β1 via targeting FOS, providing a prospective therapeutic avenue for cardiac fibrosis after MI.