Impact of miRNA in Atherosclerosis

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have received most of the attention over the last decades in particular for their role in tempering gene expression. An increasing number of studies highlighting the importance of miRNAs in the development and progression of atherosclerosis have been performed. Recently, it was shown that miRNAs exert their role in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis via the regulation of atherosclerosis-prone genes as well as their impact in regulating post-transcriptional gene expression. Hence, by affecting the level of synthesised protein within cells, they may be significant in driving the dysregulation that affects endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells and leukocytes, which initiates and augments the growth of an atherosclerotic plaque. Furthermore, the circulating levels of vascular cell-enriched miRNAs in patients could serve as a marker of disease severity and phenotypes. The accumulating evidence also indicates that their effects on atherosclerosis may allow us to exploit miRNAs as novel therapeutics or clinical biomarkers that may lead to better management of vascular diseases. Current reports providing insights into the impact of miRNAs and the mechanisms of their influences in atherosclerosis are reviewed here with a particular emphasis on studies that have been recently published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.

miR-22-3p Suppresses Endothelial Progenitor Cell Proliferation and Migration via Inhibiting Onecut 1 (OC1)/Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGFA) Signaling Pathway and Its Clinical Significance in Venous Thrombosis

“…Microribonucleic acids (miRNAs), with lengths of 20–24 nucleotides, have been proposed to have the capacity to function in RNA splicing and posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression [ 3 ]. Accumulating evidence suggests that miRNAs are widely involved in the normal functioning of cells, and dysregulation of miRNA is associated with disease [ 4 , 5 ]. Advanced studies showed that miRNAs, including miR-126, let-7e-5p, and miR-120, participated in biological functioning of EPCs [ 6 – 8 ].…”

The role of microRNAs in the involvement of vascular smooth muscle cells in the development of atherosclerosis

“…In recent years, with the deepening of basic research, increased evidence has indicated that various miRNAs participate in the induction of AS by affecting the transformation of the VSMCs phenotype, thereby playing an important role in regulating AS. Recent studies have shown that miRNAs can be used as potential targets for the treatment of AS, which can also be used to predict the progression of atherosclerotic disease and the occurrence of cardiovascular events (Lu et al, ). Further in‐depth research should be pursued to identify potential molecular targets for atherosclerotic disease and provide novel evidence for the intervention, diagnosis, and treatment of clinical atherosclerotic disease.…”

miRNA/Target Gene Profile of Endothelial Cells Treated with Human Triglyceride‐Rich Lipoproteins Obtained after a High‐Fat Meal with Extra‐Virgin Olive Oil or Sunflower Oil

“…MiRNA-126-5p is one of the miRNAs that is specifically expressed in endothelial cells. It can modulate VEGF, acting as a proangiogenic miRNA, [12] and facilitates endothelial cell proliferation and prevents atherosclerotic lesion formation. [13] The knockdown of miR-126 in mice resulted in the loss of vascular integrity and angiogenic activity, and an impaired proliferation and migration.…”