Suppression of microRNA-16 protects against acute myocardial infarction by reversing beta2-adrenergic receptor down-regulation in rats

microRNA-16 (miR-16) has been shown to be up-regulated in ischemic heart. Beta2-adrenoreceptor (beta(2)-AR) exerts cardioprotective property in ischemic injury. This study aims to determine the effect of miR-16 in cardiac injury in rats and the possible involvement of beta(2)-AR in this process. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) model in rats was induced by ligation of left coronary artery. Neonatal rat ventricular cells (NRVCs) were cultured in vitro tests. The cardiomyocyte model of oxidative injury was mimicked by hydrogen peroxide. The expression of miR-16 was obviously up-regulated and beta(2)-AR was remarkably down-regulated in both AMI rats and NRVCs under oxidative stress. miR-16 over-expression in NRVCs reduced cell viability and increased apoptosis. Conversely, inhibition of endogenous miR-16 with its specific inhibitor reversed these changes. Over-expression of miR-16 using an miR-16 lentivirus in AMI rats markedly increased cardiac infarct area, lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase activity, and exacerbated cardiac dysfunction. Lentivirusmediated knockdown of miR-16 alleviated acute cardiac injury. Moreover, miR-16 over-expression significantly suppressed beta(2)-AR protein expression in both cultured NRVCs and AMI rats, while inhibition of miR-16 displayed opposite effect on beta(2)-AR protein expression. Luciferase assay confirmed that miR-16 could directly target the 3' untranslated region of beta(2)-AR mRNA. miR-16 is detrimental to the infarct heart and suppression of miR-16 protects rat hearts from ischemic injury via up-regulating of beta(2)-AR by binding to the 3' untranslated region of beta(2)-AR gene. This study indicates that targeting miR-16/beta(2)-AR axis may be a promising strategy for ischemic heart disease.