Emerging roles of microRNAs in intestinal ischemia/reperfusion–induced injury: a review

Abstract

Intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (II/R) injury is a serious pathological phenomenon in underlying hemorrhagic shock, trauma, strangulated intestinal obstruction, and acute mesenteric ischemia which associated with high morbidity and mortality. MicroRNAs (miRNAs, miRs) are endogenous non-coding RNAs that regulate post-transcriptionally target mRNA translation via degrading it and/or suppressing protein synthesis. This review discusses on the role of some miRNAs in underlying II/R injury. Some of these miRNAs can have protective action through agomiR or specific antagomiR, and others can have destructive effects in the basal level of II/R insult. Based on these literature reviews, II/R injury affects several miRNAs and their specific target genes. Some miRNAs upregulate under condition of II/R injury, and multiple miRNAs downregulate following II/R damage. Data of this review have been collected from the scientific articles published in databases such as Science Direct, Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scientific Information Database from 2000 to 2020. It is shown a correlation between changes in the expression of miRNAs and autophagy, inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and epithelial barrier function. Taken together, agomiR or antagomiR of some miRNAs can be considered as one new target for the research and development of innovative drugs to the prevention or treatment of II/R damage.