miR-130a alleviates neuronal apoptosis and changes in expression of Bcl-2/Bax and caspase-3 in cerebral infarction rats through PTEN/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway

Abstract

Effect of micro ribonucleic acid (miR)‑130a on neuronal apoptosis in rats with cerebral infarction (CI) was studied to explore whether phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN)/phosphatidylinositol 3‑hydroxy kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) is involved in the regulation of neuronal apoptosis. Thirty‑six Sprague‑Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into blank control group, model group and miR‑130a low‑expression group. miR‑130a was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), the content of tumor necrosis factor‑α (TNF‑α), interleukin‑6 (IL‑6) and IL‑10 was detected using the enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits, and the neuronal apoptosis level in each group was determined through terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‑mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. The neurobehavioral score was significantly lower in model group than that in blank control group (P<0.01), while it was significantly higher in miR‑130a low‑expression group than that in model group (P<0.01). Compared with blank control group, the model group had obviously increased content of TNF‑α and IL‑6 (P<0.01), decreased content of IL‑10 (P<0.01), more apoptotic neurons (P<0.01), higher expression of caspase‑3 (P<0.01), and obviously lower Bcl‑2/Bax (P<0.01). Moreover, expression of phosphorylated (p)‑PTEN, PI3K and p‑Akt in brain tissues was remarkably lower in the model group than those in the blank control group (P<0.01). The expression level of miR‑130a in brain tissues of CI rats is significantly increased. miR‑130a promotes the release of inflammatory factors and facilitates neuronal apoptosis through suppressing the PTEN/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.