沉默bim的表达对缺氧所致大鼠心肌细胞凋亡的影响

 目的：探讨唯BH3域蛋白Bim(Bcl-2 interacting mediator of cell  death)在缺氧所致大鼠心肌细胞凋亡中的作用。方法：在体外原代培养出生1~3 d的大鼠心肌细胞，并用抗α-横纹肌肌动蛋白免疫组化法进行鉴定。设计并化学合成3对靶向bim的siRNA，用脂质体法将siRNA转染心肌细胞，筛选沉默效率最高的siRNA。实验分组：（1）正常对照组；（2）缺氧组；（3）缺氧+脂质体组；(4)缺氧+阴性对照siRNA组；(5)缺氧+bim-siRNA组。倒置显微镜下观察心肌细胞的搏动频率和节律。全自动生化分析术检测细胞培养液中乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)的含量，用MTT法测定心肌细胞的存活率，流式细胞仪检测细胞凋亡率。Western blotting 检测细胞Bim、 Bax、Bcl-2和p-p38 MAPK和p38 MAPK蛋白的表达。结果：免疫组化鉴定证实大鼠心肌细胞原代培养成功。bim-siRNA转染均能有效沉默bim基因的表达（P<0.01），其中第2对沉默效率最高，达到86.73%。缺氧使心肌细胞的搏动频率显著减慢，节律不规则，而沉默bim基因的表达能使细胞搏动频率增加。缺氧损伤导致细胞培养液中LDH含量较空白对照组明显增加（P<0.01），心肌细胞存活率明显下降（P<0.05），细胞凋亡率较空白对照组明显增加（P<0.01），转染bim-siRNA后细胞培养液中LDH含量显著减少，细胞存活率升高,细胞凋亡率下降。缺氧损伤导致心肌细胞Bax和p-p38 MAPK表达升高（P<0.05或P<0.01），Bcl-2蛋白表达下降（P<0.01）,bim-siRNA的转染能够抑制缺氧导致的上述改变（P<0.01或P<0.05），并且与心肌细胞凋亡发生率降低一致，p38 MAPK表达无明显变化。结论：沉默bim的表达能有效抑制缺氧导致心肌细胞凋亡的作用，其机制可能与抑制Bax、p-p38 MAPK的表达和增强Bcl-2蛋白表达有关,这有望为冠心病的治疗提供新方向。

Effect of bim silencing by siRNA on hypoxia-induced apoptosis of rat cardiomyocytes

AIM：To investigate the effect of BH3-only protein Bim (Bcl-2 interacting mediator of cell death) on apoptosis of rat  cardiomyocytes induced by hypoxia. METHODS：Rat cardiomyocytes were isolated from infant rats aged 1~3 days and then primarily cultured. The antibody targeting α-actin of striated muscle was used to identify the cardiomyocytes. The siRNAs of bim were transfected into the cardiomyocytes with liposome, and the expression of Bim was determined by Western blotting. The cardiomyocytes were divided into blank control group, hypoxia group, hypoxia+liposome group, hypoxia+negative control siRNA group and  hypoxia+bim-siRNA group.The frequency and rhythm of cardiomyocyte beating were observed and recorded under inverted microscope. The activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the culture medium was assessed by automatic biochemical analyzer. The viability of the cells was analyzed by MTT assay. The cell apoptotic rate was measured by flow cytometry. The protein expression of Bim, Bax, Bcl-2, p-p38 MAPK and p38 MAPK was detected by Western blotting. RESULTS：Immunohistochemical identification confirmed that the rat cardiomyocytes were successfully cultured. The expression of Bim was obviously inhibited after transfected with bim-siRNAs and the silencing efficiency of bim-siRNA-2 was the highest (86.73%). The frequency of cardiomyocyte beating was slowed down after hypoxia and the rhythm was disordered, while the frequency of beating was obviously increased after silencting the expression of bim. Compared with control group, the LDH in the culture medium was increased (P<0.01), and the viability of the cardiomyocytes was reduced in hypoxia group (P<0.05). The apoptotic rate was increased (P<0.01). After transfection with bim-siRNA, the release of LDH was decreased, and the viability of the cardiomyocytes was increased. The apoptotic rate was decreased. The results of Western blotting showed that hypoxia increased the expression of Bax and p-p38 MAPK (P<0.05), and decreased the expression of Bcl-2 (P<0.01), while transfection with bim-siRNA reduced the effects caused by hypoxia (P<005). These were greatly related to the decrease of apoptosis. However, the expression of p38 MAPK was not changed. CONCLUSION：The apoptosis of cardiomyocytes induced by hypoxia can be inhibited by silencing the expression of bim gene by down-regulation of p-p38 MAPK and Bax expression and up-regulation of Bcl-2 expression.