Cited by 31MicroRNA in disease regulationEffects of Radiation ExposureCell death mechanisms and regulation

Down-Regulation of miR-23a-3p Mediates Irradiation-Induced Neuronal Apoptosis

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Sabirzhanov, Boris, Makarevich, Oleg, Barrett, James, Jackson, Isabel L., Faden, Alan I., Stoica, Bogdan A.·2020·International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Abstract

Radiation-induced central nervous system toxicity is a significant risk factor for patients receiving cancer radiotherapy. Surprisingly, the mechanisms responsible for the DNA damage-triggered neuronal cell death following irradiation have yet to be deciphered. Using primary cortical neuronal cultures in vitro, we demonstrated that X-ray exposure induces the mitochondrial pathway of intrinsic apoptosis and that miR-23a-3p plays a significant role in the regulation of this process. Primary cortical neurons exposed to irradiation show the activation of DNA-damage response pathways, including the sequential phosphorylation of ATM kinase, histone H2AX, and p53. This is followed by the p53-dependent up-regulation of the pro-apoptotic Bcl2 family molecules, including the BH3-only molecules PUMA, Noxa, and Bim, leading to mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP) and the release of cytochrome c, which activates caspase-dependent apoptosis. miR-23a-3p, a negative regulator of specific pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family molecules, is rapidly decreased after neuronal irradiation. By increasing the degradation of PUMA and Noxa mRNAs in the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), the administration of the miR-23a-3p mimic inhibits the irradiation-induced up-regulation of Noxa and Puma. These changes result in an attenuation of apoptotic processes such as MOMP, the release of cytochrome c and caspases activation, and a reduction in neuronal cell death. The neuroprotective effects of miR-23a-3p administration may not only involve the direct inhibition of pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 molecules downstream of p53 but also include the attenuation of secondary DNA damage upstream of p53. Importantly, we demonstrated that brain irradiation in vivo results in the down-regulation of miR-23a-3p and the elevation of pro-apoptotic Bcl2-family molecules PUMA, Noxa, and Bax, not only broadly in the cortex and hippocampus, except for Bax, which was up-regulated only in the hippocampus but also selectively in isolated neuronal populations from the irradiated brain. Overall, our data suggest that miR-23a-3p down-regulation contributes to irradiation-induced intrinsic pathways of neuronal apoptosis. These regulated pathways of neurodegeneration may be the target of effective neuroprotective strategies using miR-23a-3p mimics to block their development and increase neuronal survival after irradiation.

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  • miR-23a-3p was found downregulated in mice cortex, hippocampus, and neurons after brain radiation, while the expression of Bcl family members was upregulated, causing secondary DNA damage.

    “The miR-23a-3p was found downregulated in mice cortex, hippocampus, and neurons after brain radiation, while the expression of Bcl family members was upregulated, causing secondary DNA damage.”

    From Recent advances of miR-23 in human diseases and growth development (2025) · cites this paper as [139]

    Results §2.1 reports miR-23a-3p down-regulation in irradiated mouse cortex, hippocampus, and isolated neurons, alongside increased expression of selected pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members. The claim’s causal ending is not supported: the Discussion describes irradiation-induced DNA damage as preceding activation of p53 and up-regulation of those molecules, which then promote apoptosis—not as damage caused by their up-regulation. Bax was also not up-regulated in the cortex. (LLM, conf=0.89)

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  • Intervention with overexpression of miR-23a-3p can protect nerves and attenuate the apoptotic process and neuronal cell death.

    “intervention with overexpression of miR-23a-3p can protect nerves and attenuate the apoptotic process and neuronal cell death [139].”

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Authors
Sabirzhanov, B., Makarevich, O., Barrett, J., Jackson, I. L., Faden, A. I., & Stoica, B. A.
Affiliations
University of Maryland, Baltimore (US)
Corresponding author
  • Sabirzhanov, Boris
  • Stoica, Bogdan A.
Venue
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2020-05-24
Volume
21
Issue
10
Pages
3695
ISSN
1422-0067 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3028447208
Cited by
31
References
58
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 1
FWCI
1.54
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • International Journal of Molecular Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01 NS091191, R01 NS096002)
  • United States (U.S.) Department of Veterans Affairs, Rehabilitation Research and Development Service (# 1I01 RX001993)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › MicroRNA in disease regulation
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Effects of Radiation Exposure
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Cell death mechanisms and regulation
Keywords
miR-23a-3p, X-ray irradiation, central nervous system toxicity, mitochondrial apoptosis, p53, Bcl-2 family proteins, PUMA, Noxa, Bax, mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization, cytochrome c release, caspase activation, DNA damage response, neuroprotection
MeSH terms
Bcl-2-Like Protein 11, Animals, DNA, DNA Damage, DNA Repair, Male, Neurons, Radiation, Ionizing, Signal Transduction, Tumor Suppressor Protein p53, Apoptosis, Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2, Tumor Suppressor Proteins, MicroRNAs, Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins, Mice, Rats, Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins

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