Small Interfering RNA Targeting Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter Improves Cardiomyocyte Cell Viability in Hypoxia/Reoxygenation Injury by Reducing Calcium Overload

Figure 2

Dose-response analysis of MCU expression in cardiomyocytes transfected with a specific siRNA designed targeting MCU (siRNA-MCU). (a) MCU mRNA expression by qRT-PCR normalized versus β-actin using 18.7, 112.5, or 225 nM of siRNA at 0, 48, 72, and 96 h of transfection. We obtained EC50 ∼67.2 nM at 96 h of transfection, mean ± SEM, . (b) Representative protein expression analysis of MCU in cardiomyocytes silenced with 225 nM of siRNA-MCU at 48 h (); at 72 h (); and at 96 h of transfection. GAPDH served as a loading control (), mean ± SEM, . (c) Relative mRNA abundance of associated regulatory genes in MCU-silenced cardiomyocytes using 225 nM of siRNA-MCU at 96 h of transfection, mean ± SEM, . MICU1, mitochondrial calcium uptake 1; MICU2, mitochondrial calcium uptake 2; MCUR1, mitochondrial calcium uniporter regulator 1; EMRE, essential mitochondrial calcium uniporter regulator.

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