MicroRNA-208a Dysregulates Apoptosis Genes Expression and Promotes Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis during Ischemia and Its Silencing Improves Cardiac Function after Myocardial Infarction

Figure 4

miR-208a silencing attenuates Bax expression and cardiomyocyte apoptosis at 28 days after MI (). (a) Representative tunnel stained images of the peri-infarct area showing that antagomir treatment decreased apoptosis in the peri-infarct area at day 28 (×20 objective). (b) Antagomir treatment significantly attenuated percentage apoptosis in the peri-infarct area ( per group). (c) Bar graph of percentage apoptotic nuclei in the noninfarcted area showing no significant difference between antagomir group and control (). (d) miR-208a antagomir downregulated Bax expression at 28 days after MI ( per group). (e) Although there was a trend towards reduction in infarct size in miR-208a antagomir treated mice compared to controls, this did not reach statistical significance ( per group).

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