Tianjin Medical Journal ›› 2026, Vol. 54 ›› Issue (6): 577-584.doi: 10.11958/20260039

• Experimental Research • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Protective effect and mechanism of miR-194-5p inhibitor on myocardial injury in mice with type 2 diabetic cardiomyopathy

ZHANG Jing1(), ZHANG Ming2, WEI Wei3, NING Haihong3, WEI Hongmei1, LI Haiyan3, WU Bin4,()   

  1. 1 Department of Nutrition
    2 Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery
    3 Medical Service Training Center
    4 Department of Nuclear Medicine, General Hospital of Xinjiang Military Command, Urumqi 830000, China
  • Received:2026-01-05 Revised:2026-02-13 Published:2026-06-15 Online:2026-06-15
  • Contact: E-mail:xjwubin9210@163.com

Abstract:

Objective To investigate the protective effect and its potential mechanism of miR-194-5p inhibitor (miR-194-5p antagomir) on myocardial injury in mice with type 2 diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). Methods Sixty C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into the normal control (NC) group, the DCM group, the DCM+antagomir control group and the DCM+miR-194-5p antagomir group (n=15). The DCM model was established by high-fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. After successful model establishment, mice in the DCM+miR-194-5p antagomir group were injected via the tail vein with miR-194-5p antagomir dissolved in PBS at a dose of 10 mg/kg, while mice in the control group were injected with the same dose of antagomir control dissolved in PBS, twice a week for 4 weeks. Twelve weeks after the intervention, cardiac function was evaluated by echocardiography. Myocardial cell cross-sectional area was detected by wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) staining. Inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in myocardial tissue were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression levels of miR-194-5p and dual-specificity phosphatase 9 (DUSP9) mRNA were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Myocardial mitochondrial ultrastructure was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The target of miR-194-5p was predicted by bioinformatics methods, and pathway enrichment analysis was performed. The dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was used to verify the targeted regulation of DUSP9 by miR-194-5p. The expression levels of DUSP9 protein and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway-related molecules were detected by Western blot assay. Results Compared with the NC group, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS) were decreased in the DCM group and the DCM+antagomir control group, and myocardial cell cross-sectional area, apoptosis rate, levels of inflammatory factors IL-6 and TNF-α, phosphorylated ERK (p-ERK) and phosphorylated p38 (p-p38) increased (P<0.05). The expression of miR-194-5p mRNA was up-regulated, while the mRNA and protein expression of DUSP9 were down-regulated (P<0.05), and the myocardial mitochondrial ultrastructure was severely damaged. Compared with the DCM group and the DCM+antagomir control group, LVEF and LVFS were increased, and myocardial cell cross-sectional area, apoptosis rate, inflammatory factor levels, p-ERK and p-p38 were decreased in the DCM+miR-194-5p antagomir group (P<0.05). The expression of miR-194-5p mRNA was down-regulated, while the mRNA and protein expression of DUSP9 were up-regulated (P<0.05), and the myocardial mitochondrial ultrastructural injury was alleviated. Bioinformatics prediction indicated that DUSP9 was a potential target of miR-194-5p, and the MAPK signaling pathway was the most significantly enriched pathway among the target genes. The dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed that miR-194-5p could directly target the 3'-UTR region of DUSP9. Conclusion Inhibition of miR-194-5p attenuates myocardial injury in DCM mice, likely by targeting DUSP9 for upregulation, thereby suppressing the MAPK signaling pathway.

Key words: diabetic cardiomyopathies, microRNAs, dual-specificity phosphatases, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases, apoptosis, extracellular signal-regulated kinase, miR-194-5p

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