Ferulic Acid Alleviates Oxidative Stress-Induced Cardiomyocyte Injury by the Regulation of miR-499-5p/p21 Signal Cascade

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effects and regulatory mechanisms of ferulic acid on oxidative stress-induced cardiomyocyte injury. METHODS: We established a cardiomyocyte oxidative stress cell model by H(2)O(2) treatment and a mouse heart injury model by isoprenaline infusion of male C57BL/6 mice. Ferulic acid was applied to treat oxidative stress-induced cardiomyocyte injury. DHE staining was used to detect ROS production. DNA fragmentation, TUNEL assay, and cleaved caspase-3 were used to analyze cell apoptosis. Real-time PCR and Western blotting were used to analyze miRNA and protein levels to investigate the regulatory mechanisms of ferulic acid on oxidative stress-induced cardiomyocyte injury. RESULTS: Ferulic acid pretreatment significantly inhibited H(2)O(2)- and isoprenaline-induced oxidative stress and cell apoptosis by promoting miR-499-5p expression and inhibiting p21 expression. MiR-499-5p inhibition reversed the protective effects of ferulic acid. Further study found that ferulic acid could also attenuate isoprenaline-induced mouse heart fibrosis and cell apoptosis by reducing oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: We proved that ferulic acid protects cardiomyocytes from oxidative stress-induced injury by regulating the miR-499-5p/p21signaling pathway, which provides insight into the clinical application of ferulic acid in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.