Small Interfering RNA Targeting Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter Improves Cardiomyocyte Cell Viability in Hypoxia/Reoxygenation Injury by Reducing Calcium Overload

Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2017:2017:5750897. doi: 10.1155/2017/5750897. Epub 2017 Feb 27.

Abstract

Intracellular Ca2+ mishandling is an underlying mechanism in hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury that results in mitochondrial dysfunction and cardiomyocytes death. These events are mediated by mitochondrial Ca2+ (mCa2+) overload that is facilitated by the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) channel. Along this line, we evaluated the effect of siRNA-targeting MCU in cardiomyocytes subjected to H/R injury. First, cardiomyocytes treated with siRNA demonstrated a reduction of MCU expression by 67%, which resulted in significant decrease in mitochondrial Ca2+ transport. siRNA treated cardiomyocytes showed decreased mitochondrial permeability pore opening and oxidative stress trigger by Ca2+ overload. Furthermore, after H/R injury MCU silencing decreased necrosis and apoptosis levels by 30% and 50%, respectively, and resulted in reduction in caspases 3/7, 9, and 8 activity. Our findings are consistent with previous conclusions that demonstrate that MCU activity is partly responsible for cellular injury induced by H/R and support the concept of utilizing siRNA-targeting MCU as a potential therapeutic strategy.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis
  • Calcium / metabolism*
  • Calcium Channels / chemistry
  • Calcium Channels / genetics
  • Calcium Channels / metabolism*
  • Cell Hypoxia
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Survival
  • Cyclosporine / pharmacology
  • Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / drug effects
  • Mitochondria / metabolism
  • Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / metabolism
  • Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / pathology
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / cytology
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / metabolism
  • Oxidative Stress
  • RNA Interference
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism*
  • Rats
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism

Substances

  • Calcium Channels
  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • mitochondrial calcium uniporter
  • Cyclosporine
  • Calcium