MicroRNA-23a-3p attenuates oxidative stress injury in a mouse model of focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion

• MiR-23a-3p lessened cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in mice.
• MiR-23a-3p deceased oxidative stress injury in transient MCAO mouse model.
• MiR-23a-3p reduced reactive nitrogen species production in mice and neuro-2a cells.
• MiR-23a-3p increased the expression and activity of SOD in mice and neuro-2a cells.

The present study was designed to investigate the potential role of miR-23a-3p in experimental brain ischemia-reperfusion injury. Cerebral ischemia reperfusion was induced by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 1 h in C57/BL6 mice. And miR-23a-3p angomir was transfected to upregulate the miR-23a-3p level. Our results showed that miR-23a-3p levels were transiently increased at 4 h after reperfusion in the peri-infarction area, while markedly increased in the infarction core at reperfusion 4 h and 24 h. Importantly, in vivo study demonstrated that miR-23a-3p angomir treatment through intracerebroventricular injection markedly decreased cerebral infarction volume after MCAO. Simultaneously, miR-23a-3p reduced peroxidative production nitric oxide (NO) and 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT), and increased the expression of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD). In vitro study demonstrated that miR-23a-3p decreased hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage dose-dependently, and reduced protein levels of activated caspase-3 in neuro-2a cells. In addition, miR-23a-3p reduced H2O2-induced production of NO and 3-NT dose-dependently, and reversed the decreased activity of total SOD and MnSOD in neuro-2a cells. Our study indicated that miR-23a-3p suppressed oxidative stress and lessened cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.