Up-regulation of microRNA-375 ameliorates the damage of dopaminergic neurons, reduces oxidative stress and inflammation in Parkinson’s disease by inhibiting SP1
Lijun Cai, Li Tu, Li Tian, Xiulin Yang, Yipin Ren, Ran Gu, Qian Zhang, Huan Yao, Xiang Qu, Qian Wang, Jinyong Tian
Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study is conducted to investigate the protective role of elevated microRNA-375 (miR-375) in dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson's disease through down-regulating transcription factor specificity protein 1 (SP1). RESULTS: The successfully modeled rats with Parkinson's disease showed aggregated neurobehavioral change, increased neuroinflammatory response and oxidative stress, and lowered dopamine content. Parkinson's disease rats treated with overexpressed miR-375 displayed improved neurobehavioral change, ameliorated neuroinflammatory response and oxidative stress, heightened dopamine content and abated neuronal apoptosis by down-regulating SP1. Up-regulation of SP1 reversed the protective effect of upregulated miR-375 on Parkinson's disease. CONCLUSION: Up-regulation of miR-375 ameliorated the damage of dopaminergic neurons, reduced oxidative stress and inflammation in Parkinson's disease by inhibiting SP1. METHODS: Parkinson's disease rat model was established by targeted injection of 6-hydroxydopamine to damage the substantia nigra striatum. The successfully modeled Parkinson's disease rats were intracerebroventricularly injected with miR-375 mimics or pcDNA3.1-SP1. The functions of miR-375 and SP1 in neurobehavioral change, neuroinflammatory response, oxidative stress, dopamine content and expression of apoptosis-related proteins in the substantia nigra of Parkinson's disease rats were evaluated. The target relation of miR-375 and SP1 was confirmed by bioinformatics analysis and dual luciferase reporter gene assay.