. The SUR2B subunit of rat vascular KATP channel is targeted by miR-9a-3p induced by prolonged exposure to methylglyoxal. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 308: C139-C145, 2015. First published October 29, 2014; doi:10.1152/ajpcell.00311.2014.-ATP-sensitive K ϩ (KATP) channels regulate plasma membrane excitability. The Kir6.1/ SUR2B isoform of KATP channels is expressed in vascular smooth muscles and plays an important role in vascular tone regulation. This KATP channel is targeted by several reactive species. One of them is methylglyoxal (MGO), which is overly produced with persistent hyperglycemia and contributes to diabetic vascular complications. We have previously found that MGO causes posttranscriptional inhibition of the KATP channel, aggravating vascular tone regulation. Here we show evidence for the underlying molecular mechanisms. We screened microRNA databases and found several candidates. Of them, miR-9a-3p, increased its expression level by ϳ240% when the cultured smooth muscle cell line was exposed to micromolar concentrations of MGO. Treatments with exogenous miR-9a-3p downregulated the SUR2B but not Kir6.1 mRNA. Antisense nucleotides of miR9a-3p alleviated the effects of MGO. Quantitative PCR showed that the targeting sites of the miR-9a-3p were likely to be in the coding region of SUR2B. The effects of miR-9a-3p were mostly eliminated when the potential targeting site in SUR2B was site-specifically mutated. Our functional assays showed that KATP currents were impaired by miR-9a-3p induced with MGO treatment. These results suggest that MGO exposure raises the expression of miR-9a-3p, which subsequently downregulates the SUR2B mRNA, compromising KATP channel function in vascular smooth muscle.microRNA; ATP-sensitive potassium channel; diabetes DIABETES MELLITUS is a major challenge to biomedical sciences (12). Diabetes causes metabolic alterations leading to excessive production of various intermediary metabolites (4). One of them is methylglyoxal (MGO), a highly reactive carbonyl species (RCS) (2,16,39). MGO can react with proteins, nucleotides, and lipids, damaging these molecules and promoting inflammation and cell injuries (10,17,26). Normally, MGO is rapidly detoxified by metabolic and redox enzymes so that it is maintained at a rather low level (37). Under diabetic conditions, however, the increased production of precursor molecules and impaired carbonyl detoxification system result in overproduction and accumulation of this RCS (38). The imbalance in the production and clearance of RCS then leads to carbonyl stress, which is known to play an important role in the development of diabetic complications, especially in the vasculature (1, 7, 11).In the vasculature, an increase in MGO levels can impair structure and function of the vascular walls by acting on the vascular smooth muscle (VSM), endothelium, or both. This in turn disrupts the signaling network in these cells, triggers structural remodeling of the vascular wall, propagates vascular inflammation, and causes vascular dysfunction (40 -42). Ind...