MiR-940 Serves as a Diagnostic Biomarker in Patients with Sepsis and Regulates Sepsis-Induced Inflammation and Myocardial Dysfunction

Introduction: Sepsis is a heterogeneous syndrome with a life-long threat caused by infection. This study aimed to investigate the clinical function of miR-940 and its influence on cardiomyocyte models. Methods: The relative expression of miR-940 was assessed by qRT-PCR and the roles in the clinical diagnosis of miR-940 were revealed by the ROC curve. The relationship between miR-940 and clinical parameters was validated by Pearson analysis. The sepsis rat models were established by treatment with cecal ligation and perforation (CLP) and clinical items including left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), left ventricular and end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), maximum rate of increase/decrease in left ventricular blood pressure (+/- dp/dtmax) as well as troponin (cTnl), creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB), TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, and IL-6 were detected. Results: The finding of qRT-PCR accentuated that the relative expression of miR-940 was significantly decreased in sepsis patients and CLP-stimulated models. The ROC curve proposed that miR-940 could be a satisfactory diagnostic biomarker for sepsis patients. Pearson analysis reinforced the expression of miR-940 was negatively associated with the PCT, WBC, CRP, Scr, SOFA score, and APACHE II score. The outcome of CLP-steered rat verified that overexpression of miR-940 inhibited the detrimental effects of CLP on myocardial dysfunction and inflammation reactions. Conclusion: The downregulation of miR-940 was reported and it might be an underlying diagnostic marker in sepsis patients. Overexpression of miR-940 protected myocardial function from damage and inflammation induced by CLP.