Effects of Epimedium herb through miR-19a-3p on islet β cells damage induced by high glucose and lipid and its mechanism

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects and molecular mechanism of Epimedium herb(EH) on islet β cells injury induced by high glucose and lipid.

MethodsThe model of high glucose and lipid injury of islet β cells RINm5F was established.The cells were divided into the control group(treatment with 5 mmol/L glucose), high glucose and lipid(treatment with 25 mmol/L glucose and 0.25 mmol/L PA), low dose EH group(treatment with 25 mmol/L glucose, 0.25 mmol/L PA and 10 μmol/L EH), high dose EH group(treatment with 25 mmol/L glucose, 0.25 mmol/L PA and 100 μmol/L EH).After 48 h of treatment, the cell proliferation and apoptosis were detected using MTT assay and flow cytometry, respectively.The expression levels of CyclinD1, P21, B cell lymphoma/lewkmia-2(Bcl-2) and Bcl-2 associated X(Bax) protein were analyzed using Western blotting.The expression level of miR-19a-3p mRNA in RINm5F cells was detected using real-time quantitative PCR(qPCR).The high glucose and lipid damaged RINm5F cells were transfected using anti-miR-19a-3p or miR-19a-3p in the high dose EH group, and the proliferation and apoptosis of the cells were observed.

ResultsCompared with the control group, the cell proliferation activities at 48 h and 72 h, CyclinD1 and Bcl-2 protein levels significantly decreased(P < 0.05), and the apoptosis rate, miR-19a-3p expression, P21 and Bax protein expression levels significantly increased in high glucose and lipid group(P < 0.05).The intervention of different doses of EH could significantly improve the proliferation capacity and levels of CyclinD1 and Bcl-2 protein of cells under high glucose and lipid environment, and significantly reduced the apoptosis rate and expression levels of P21 and Bax protein(P < 0.01), and the difference between which and effect of inhibiting miR-19a-3p was not statistically significant(P>0.05).The overexpression of miR-19a-3p could reverse the EH promoting effect on proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis of RINm5F cells stimulated by high glucose and lipid(P < 0.01).

ConclusionsEH protects islet β cells damage induced by high glucose and lipid through miR-19a-3P, improves cell proliferation activity and inhibits apoptosis.