[Research progress of mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes in liver diseases].

Exosomes can mediate cell-cell interactions by transporting various active substances such as nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids. Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (MSCs) can play important roles in promoting liver repair and regeneration through the active substances it carries, inhibiting liver inflammation and liver fibrosis, and regulating tumor progression, and thereby providing new therapeutic strategies for clinical liver diseases. This article reviews the research progress of MSCs-derived exosomes in liver diseases.

MiR-328 inhibits cell apoptosis and improves cardiac function in rats with myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury through MEK-ERK signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the influences of micro ribonucleic acid (miR)-328 on rats with myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury through the methyl ethyl ketone (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 36 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into the sham group (n=12), model group (n=12), and miR-328 group (n=12). The model of myocardial IR injury was established by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery, without any intervention in the model group, while 200 µL of miR-328 antagomir was intravenously injected before modeling in the miR-328 group. The activity of the serum myocardial enzymes lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase-muscle/brain (CK-MB) was determined via ELISA to assess the cardiac function in the three groups of rats, and the mRNA expression level of miR-328 in myocardial tissues was measured through real-time fluorescence qRT-PCR in the sham group, model group, and miR-328 group. TUNEL staining was performed to detect apoptotic cells, and the levels of myocardial apoptosis-associated protein Caspase-3 and phosphorylated MEK1/2 (p-MEK1/2) and p-ERK1/2 proteins were determined using Western blotting. RESULTS: Compared with the sham group, the model group exhibited increased activity of LDH and CK-MB, miR-328 expression level, apoptotic cells, the relative expression level of Caspase-3, and protein levels of p-MEK and p-ERK, with statistically significant differences (p<0.05). Besides, in comparison with the model group, miR-328 group showed a decreased activity of LDH and CK-MB, miR-328 expression level, the relative expression level of Caspase-3, and protein levels of p-MEK and p-ERK, displaying statistically significant differences (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: MiR-328 modulates the MEK-ERK signaling pathway to inhibit cell apoptosis and improve the cardiac function in rats with myocardial IR injury.