Abstract:

Myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury (MIRI)，which occurs after reperfusion of ischemic myocardium, presents a series of myocardial functional disorder and structural impairments. In recent years, researchers have found abnormal up-regulated or down-regulated expressions of many micro-RNAs (miRNAs) during the course of MIRI. By targeting specific genes, miRNAs can modulate downstream signaling pathways and cause changes in expressions of corresponding proteins, thus involve in the process of regulating MIRI. MIRI can be alleviated by up-regulating or down-regulating expressions of target miRNAs via technical approaches. As biomarkers of acute myocardial infarction, miRNAs can reflect the severity and prognosis of the disease. This paper reviews new research progresses of mechanisms and clinical applications of miRNAs in MIRI.

Key words: micro-RNA, myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury, myocardial protection