Overexpression of circRNA SNRK targets miR-103-3p to reduce apoptosis and promote cardiac repair through GSK3β/β-catenin pathway in rats with myocardial infarction

Ischemic cardiomyopathy seriously endangers human health leading to a poor prognosis. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the primary etiology, and the pathophysiological process concludes with the death of cardiomyocytes caused by acute and persistent ischemia and hypoxia in the coronary arteries. We identified a circRNA (circSNRK) which was downregulated in rats with myocardial infarction (MI), however, the role it plays in the MI environment is still unclear. This study contained experiments to investigate the role of circSNRK in the regulation of cardiac survival and explore the mechanisms underlying circSNRK functions. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed to determine the circSNRK expression patterns in hearts. Gain-of-function assays were also conducted in vitro and in vivo to determine the role of circSNRK in cardiac repair. qRT-PCR, western blot, and luciferase reporter assays were used to study circRNA interactions with micro RNAs (miRNAs). Overexpression of circSNRK in cardiomyocytes reduced apoptosis and increased proliferation. Adeno associated virus 9 (AAV9) mediated myocardium overexpression of circSNRK in post MI hearts reduced cardiomyocyte apoptosis, promoted cardiomyocyte proliferation, enhanced angiogenesis, and improved cardiac functions. Overall, upregulation of circSNRK promotes cardiac survival and functional recovery after MI. Mechanistically, circSNRK regulates cardiomyocyte apoptosis and proliferation by acting as a miR-103-3p sponge and inducing increased expression of SNRK which can bind GSK3β to regulate its phosphorylated activity. And thus circSNRK may be a promising therapeutic target for improving clinical prognosis after MI.