LncRNA AK020546 protects against cardiac ischemia–reperfusion injury by sponging miR-350-3p

Abstract

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been implicated in the development of cardiovascular diseases. We observed that lncRNA AK020546 was downregulated following ischemia/reperfusion injury to the myocardium and following H₂O₂ treatment in H9c2 cardiomyocytes. <i>In vivo</i> and <i>in vitro</i> studies showed that AK020546 overexpression attenuated the size of the ischemic area, reduced apoptosis among H9c2 cardiomyocytes, and suppressed the release of reactive oxygen species, lactic acid dehydrogenase, and malondialdehyde. AK020546 served as a competing endogenous RNA for miR-350-3p and activated the miR-350-3p target gene <i>ErbB3</i>. MiR-350-3p overexpression reversed the effects of AK020546 on oxidative stress injury and apoptosis in H9c2 cardiomyocytes. Moreover, <i>ErbB3</i> knockdown alleviated the effects of AK020546 on the expression of ErbB3, Bcl-2, phosphorylated AKT, cleaved Caspase 3, and phosphorylated Bad. These findings suggest lncRNA AK020546 protects against ischemia/reperfusion and oxidative stress injury by sequestering miR-350-3p and activating ErbB3, which highlights its potential as a therapeutic target for ischemic heart diseases.