MiR-1291 mediates the protective effect of sevoflurane preconditioning against hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced myocardial cell injury

The protective effects of sevoflurane (Sev) in cardiovascular disease have been well documented in studies. The investigation aimed to clarify the contribution of miR-1291 to the pathophysiological process of hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R)-induced cardiomyocyte injury in the setting of Sev preconditioning. H/R cell models were constructed with AC16 cells and the cell models were pretreated with 1%, 1.5% and 2% concentrations of Sev. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect miR-1291 and NF2 expression in cells. Cell viability was assessed using the cell counting kit-8 assay. Apoptosis was evaluated via flow cytometry. Cellular cardiac troponin I (cTnI), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Dual luciferase reporter gene assay and RIP analysis were applied to validate the binding of miR-1291 to NF2. In the H/R cell model, miR-1291 was downregulated, and this was accompanied by reduced cell viability, increased apoptosis, and elevated levels of cTnI, LDH, IL-6 and TNF-α. In contrast, inhibition of miR-1291 expression impaired the protective effect of Sev on cardiomyocytes. NF2 was a downstream target gene of miR-1291, and miR-1291 negatively regulated the expression of NF2. Knockdown of NF2 expression alleviated the effects of miR-1291 inhibition on Sev-treated cells. Sev attenuates H/R-induced cardiomyocyte injury by regulating miR-1291/NF2 expression and inhibiting apoptosis and inflammatory responses. This study unveils a novel mechanism of Sev-mediated myocardial protection, offering theoretical support and potential therapeutic targets for myocardial injury prevention and treatment.