The role of microRNA-146a in regulating the expression of IRAK1 in cerebral ischemia–reperfusion injury

MicroRNA-146a (miR-146a) is reportedly implicated in the pathogenesis of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Its role in the cerebral I/R injury is however unclear and requires further investigation. In this study, cerebral I/R injury was established in mice via middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), and the expression of miR-146a was detected in the brain tissue via quantitative real-time PCR. We found that the expression of miR-146a was up-regulated. Furthermore, the endogenous miR-146a was antagonized by its specific inhibitor. The results indicated that the inhibition of miR-146a deteriorated I/R-induced neurobehavioral impairment, exaggerated the infarct size and exacerbated blood brain barrier leakage. Cerebral I/R injury-induced generation of inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6, was further promoted by miR-146a inhibitor. The expression of interleukin-1 receptor associated kinase 1 (IRAK1), a target of miR-146a, was up-regulated upon miR-146a inhibi...