MicroRNA-665 is involved in the regulation of the expression of the cardioprotective cannabinoid receptor CB2 in patients with severe heart failure

The myocardial endocannabinoid system has been linked to stress response and cardioprotection. In chronic heart failure (CHF), protective CB2 receptors are markedly up-regulated while CB1 receptors are slightly down-regulated. We here provide evidence that myocardial CB receptors are subject to microRNA regulation. By a combined computational and experimental approach we show that CB1 receptors are regulated by miR-494, and CB2 receptors are targeted by miR-665. Moreover, we demonstrate that in CHF, miR-665 expression is significantly decreased while miR-494 is slightly increased, which is concordant with the previously reported alterations of CB receptors. These results suggest that in CHF, altered expression of specific miRNAs may contribute to a compensatory response of the diseased myocardium.