BMP-Induced MicroRNA-101 Expression Regulates Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Migration

Connecting the Dots: How MicroRNAs Link Asthma and Atherosclerosis

Asthma and atherosclerosis are chronic conditions with distinct pathophysiologies, but overlapping inflammatory mechanisms that suggest a potential common regulatory framework. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNA molecules that modulate gene expression post-transcriptionally, could be key players in linking these disorders. This review outlines how miRNAs contribute to the complex interplay between asthma and atherosclerosis, focusing on key miRNAs involved in inflammatory pathways, immune cell regulation and vascular remodeling. We discuss specific miRNAs, such as miR-155, miR-21 and miR-146a, which have been shown to modulate inflammatory cytokine production and T cell differentiation, impacting respiratory and cardiovascular health. The common miRNAs found in both asthma and atherosclerosis emphasize their role as potential biomarkers, but also as therapeutic targets. Understanding these molecular connections may unlock novel approaches for innovative, integrated treatment strategies that address both conditions and may significantly improve patient outcomes. Further research is needed to explore mechanistic pathways and validate the translational potential of miRNA-based interventions in preclinical and clinical settings.

Association of circulating hsa-miRNAs with sarcopenia: the SarcoPhAge study

OBJECTIVE

To identify a microRNA signature associated to sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults form the SarcoPhAge cohort.

METHODS

In a screening phase by next generation sequencing (NGS), we compared the hsa-miRome expression of 18 subjects with sarcopenia (79.6 ± 6.8 years, 9 men) and 19 healthy subjects without sarcopenia (77.1 ± 6 years, 9 men) at baseline. Thereafter, we have selected eight candidate hsa-miRNAs according to the NGS results and after a critical assessment of previous literature. In a validation phase and by real-time qPCR, we then analyzed the expression levels of these 8 hsa-miRNAs at baseline selecting 92 healthy subjects (74.2 ± 10 years) and 92 subjects with sarcopenia (75.3 ± 6.8 years). For both steps, the groups were matched for age and sex.

RESULTS

In the validation phase, serum has-miRNA-133a-3p and has-miRNA-200a-3p were significantly decreased in the group with sarcopenia vs controls [RQ: relative quantification; median (interquartile range)]: -0.16 (-1.26/+0.90) vs +0.34 (-0.73/+1.33) (p < 0.01) and -0.26 (-1.07/+0.68) vs +0.27 (-0.55/+1.10) (p < 0.01) respectively. Has-miRNA-744-5p was decreased and has-miRNA-151a-3p was increased in the group with sarcopenia vs controls, but this barely reached significance: +0.16 (-1.34/+0.79) vs +0.44 (-0.31/+1.00) (p = 0.050) and  +0.35 (-0.22/+0.90) vs  +0.03 (-0.68/+0.75) (p = 0.054).

CONCLUSION

In subjects with sarcopenia, serum hsa-miRNA-133a-3p and hsa-miRNA-200a-3p expression were downregulated, consistent with their potential targets inhibiting muscle cells proliferation and differentiation.

Small interfering RNA (siRNA)-based therapeutic applications against viruses: principles, potential, and challenges

RNA has emerged as a revolutionary and important tool in the battle against emerging infectious diseases, with roles extending beyond its applications in vaccines, in which it is used in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since their development in the 1990s, RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics have demonstrated potential in reducing the expression of disease-associated genes. Nucleic acid-based therapeutics, including RNAi therapies, that degrade viral genomes and rapidly adapt to viral mutations, have emerged as alternative treatments. RNAi is a robust technique frequently employed to selectively suppress gene expression in a sequence-specific manner. The swift adaptability of nucleic acid-based therapeutics such as RNAi therapies endows them with a significant advantage over other antiviral medications. For example, small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are produced on the basis of sequence complementarity to target and degrade viral RNA, a novel approach to combat viral infections. The precision of siRNAs in targeting and degrading viral RNA has led to the development of siRNA-based treatments for diverse diseases. However, despite the promising therapeutic benefits of siRNAs, several problems, including impaired long-term protein expression, siRNA instability, off-target effects, immunological responses, and drug resistance, have been considerable obstacles to the use of siRNA-based antiviral therapies. This review provides an encompassing summary of the siRNA-based therapeutic approaches against viruses while also addressing the obstacles that need to be overcome for their effective application. Furthermore, we present potential solutions to mitigate major challenges.

MicroRNA regulation of phenotypic transformations in vascular smooth muscle: relevance to vascular remodeling

Alterations in the vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) phenotype play a critical role in the pathogenesis of several cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, atherosclerosis, and restenosis after angioplasty. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous noncoding RNAs (approximately 19-25 nucleotides in length) that function as regulators in various physiological and pathophysiological events. Recent studies have suggested that aberrant miRNAs' expression might underlie VSMC phenotypic transformation, appearing to regulate the phenotypic transformations of VSMCs by targeting specific genes that either participate in the maintenance of the contractile phenotype or contribute to the transformation to alternate phenotypes, and affecting atherosclerosis, hypertension, and coronary artery disease by altering VSMC proliferation, migration, differentiation, inflammation, calcification, oxidative stress, and apoptosis, suggesting an important regulatory role in vascular remodeling for maintaining vascular homeostasis. This review outlines recent progress in the discovery of miRNAs and elucidation of their mechanisms of action and functions in VSMC phenotypic regulation. Importantly, as the literature supports roles for miRNAs in modulating vascular remodeling and for maintaining vascular homeostasis, this area of research will likely provide new insights into clinical diagnosis and prognosis and ultimately facilitate the identification of novel therapeutic targets.

Regulation of NcRNA-protein binding in diabetic foot

Non-coding RNA (ncRNA) is a special type of RNA transcript that makes up more than 90 % of the human genome. Although ncRNA typically does not encode proteins, it indirectly controls a wide range of biological processes, including cellular metabolism, development, proliferation, transcription, and post-transcriptional modification. NcRNAs include small interfering RNA (siRNA), PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA), tRNA-derived small RNA (tsRNA), etc. The most researched of these are miRNA, lncRNA, and circRNA, which are crucial regulators in the onset of diabetes and the development of associated consequences. The ncRNAs indicated above are linked to numerous diabetes problems by binding proteins, including diabetic foot (DF), diabetic nephropathy, diabetic cardiomyopathy, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy. According to recent studies, Mir-146a can control the AKAP12 axis to promote the proliferation and migration of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) cells, while lncRNA GAS5 can activate HIF1A/VEGF pathway by binding to TAF15 to promote DFU wound healing. However, there are still many unanswered questions about the mechanism of action of ncRNAs. In this study, we explored the mechanism and new progress of ncRNA-protein binding in DF, which can provide help and guidance for the application of ncRNA in the early diagnosis and potential targeted intervention of DFU.

Direct targeting of DOCK4 by miRNA-181d in oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation-mediated neuronal injury

The miRNA-181 (miR-181) family regulates neuronal persistence during cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CI/RI). Since the effect of miR-181d on CI/RI has never been studied, the current work sought to determine the involvement of miR-181d in neuronal apoptosis after brain I/R injury. To replicate in vivo and in vitro CI/RI, a transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) model in rats and an oxygen-glucose deficiency/reoxygenation (OGD/R) model in neuro 2A cells were developed. In both in vivo and in vitro stroke models, the expression of miR-181d was considerably higher. miR-181d suppression reduced apoptosis and oxidative stress in OGD/R-treated neuroblastoma cells, but miR-181d overexpression increased both. Furthermore, it was observed that miR-181d has a direct target in dedicator of cytokinesis 4 (DOCK4). The overexpression of DOCK4 partially overcame cell apoptosis and oxidative stress induced by miR-181d upregulation and OGD/R injury. Furthermore, the DOCK4 rs2074130 mutation was related to lower DOCK4 levels in ischemic stroke (IS) peripheral blood and higher susceptibility to IS. These findings suggest that downregulating miR-181d protects neurons from ischemic damage by targeting DOCK4, implying that the miR-181d/DOCK4 axis might be a novel therapeutic target for IS.

DOCK4 as a Potential Biomarker Associated with Immune Infiltration in Stomach Adenocarcinoma: A Database Analysis

Purpose

The involvement of dedicator for cytokinesis 4 (DOCK4), a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rac1, in immune infiltration in stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) remains unclear.

Methods

The UALCAN database was used to analyze the expression of the DOCK family. The Kaplan–Meier method and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) databases were used to assess the prognostic value of the DOCK family in STAD. Furthermore, the correlation between expression of DOCK4 as well as other immune-related marker genes and tumor immune infiltration in STAD was explored using the TIMER and GEPIA websites. Subsequently, the relationship between DOCK4 expression and clinical characteristics was verified using the UALCAN database. Finally, DOCK4 mutation was analyzed via the TIMER2.0 and cBioPortal databases and the DOCK4 protein-protein interaction networks were constructed using the GeneMANIA and STRING websites.

Results

DOCK4 was found to be a new prognostic biomarker in STAD. DOCK4 expression in tumors was thoroughly evaluated relative to paracancerous tissues; overexpression of DOCK4 had a negative impact on the prognosis of patients with STAD. DOCK4 was found to be significantly associated with tumor immune infiltration in STAD.

Conclusion

In summary, DOCK4 is a potential regulator of the recruitment and regulation of immune-infiltrating cells, thus serving as a valuable prognostic biomarker in STAD.

Vascular Calcification: New Insights Into BMP Type I Receptor A

Vascular calcification (VC) is a complex ectopic calcification process and an important indicator of increased risk for diabetes, atherosclerosis, chronic kidney disease, and other diseases. Therefore, clarifying the pathogenesis of VC is of great clinical significance. Numerous studies have shown that the onset and progression of VC are similar to bone formation. Members of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) family of proteins are considered key molecules in the progression of vascular calcification. BMP type I receptor A (BMPR1A) is a key receptor of BMP factors acting on the cell membrane, is widely expressed in various tissues and cells, and is an important “portal” for BMP to enter cells and exert their biological effect. In recent years, many discoveries have been made regarding the occurrence and treatment of ectopic ossification-related diseases involving BMP signaling targets. Studies have confirmed that BMPR1A is involved in osteogenic differentiation and that its high expression in vascular endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells can lead to vascular calcification. This article reviews the role of BMPR1A in vascular calcification and the possible underlying molecular mechanisms to provide clues for the clinical treatment of such diseases.

[Gly14]-Humanin inhibits an angiotensin II-induced vascular smooth muscle cell phenotypic switch via ameliorating intracellular oxidative stress

Angiotensin II (AngII) is involved in the pathogenesis of hypertensive artery remodeling by inducing a phenotypic switch in vascular smooth muscle cells [Gly14]-Humanin (HNG), a humanin analogue, exerts potent cytoprotective effects both in vitro and in vivo. This study aimed to investigate the effects of HNG on an AngII-induced phenotypic switch in VSMCs and the potential mechanisms underlying these effects. The roles of [Gly14]-Humanin in AngII-stimulated VSMCs proliferation and migration was detected by CCK-8 assay, Cell cycle analysis, wound healing assay, trsnswell assay and western blot. The mechanism by which [Gly14]-Humanin regulates VSMC phenotypic switch was determined by intracellular oxidative stress detection, transcriptomic analysis and qRT-PCR. The results showed that HNG inhibited AngII-induced VSMC proliferation and migration and maintained a stable VSMC contractile phenotype. In addition, HNG reduced the level of AngII-induced oxidative stress in vascular smooth muscle cells. This process could be accomplished by inhibiting nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase activity. In conclusion, the results suggested that HNG ameliorated intracellular oxidative stress by inhibiting NAD(P)H oxidase activity, thereby suppressing the AngII-induced VSMC phenotype switch. Thus, HNG is a potential drug to ameliorate artery remodeling in hypertension.

Long Non-Coding RNA MEG8 Suppresses Hypoxia-Induced Excessive Proliferation, Migration and Inflammation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells by Regulation of the miR-195-5p/RECK Axis

It has been recognized that rebalancing the abnormal proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) helps relieve vascular injury. Presently, we aim to investigate whether long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) maternally expressed 8 (MEG8) plays a role in affecting the excessive proliferation and migration of VSMCs following hypoxia stimulation. A percutaneous transluminal angioplasty balloon dilatation catheter was adopted to establish vascular intimal injury, the levels of MEG8 and miR-195-5p in the carotid artery were tested by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Hypoxia was used to stimulate VSMCs, then the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, Transnwell assay, and wound healing assay were conducted to evaluate the proliferation, and migration of VSMCs. The protein levels of RECK (reversion inducing cysteine rich protein with kazal motifs), MMP (matrix metalloproteinase) 3/9/13, COX2 (cytochrome c oxidase subunit II), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1beta, VCAM-1 (vascular cell adhesion molecule 1), ICAM-1 (intercellular adhesion molecule 1), and HIF-1α (hypoxia inducible factor 1 subunit alpha) were determined by western blot or cellular immunofluorescence. As the data showed, MEG8 was down-regulated in the carotid artery after balloon injury in rats and hypoxia-treated VSMCs, and miR-195-5p was overexpressed. Forced MEG8 overexpression or inhibiting miR-195-5p attenuated hypoxia-promoted cell proliferation and migration of VSMCs. In addition, miR-195-5p up-regulation reversed MEG8-mediated effects. Hypoxia hindered the RECK expression while boosted MMP3/9/13 levels, and the effect was markedly reversed with MEG8 up-regulation or miR-195-5p down-regulation. Mechanistically, MEG8 functioned as a competitive endogenous (ceRNA) by sponging miR-195-5p which targeted RECK. Moreover, the HIF-1α inhibitor PX478 prevented hypoxia-induced proliferation, and migration of VSMCs, upregulated MEG8, and restrained miR-195-5p expression. Overall, lncRNA MEG8 participated in hypoxia-induced excessive proliferation, inflammation and migration of VSMCs through the miR-195-5p/RECK axis.

The Regulatory Effect of MicroRNA-101-3p on Disc Degeneration by the STC1/VEGF/MAPK Pathway

Aims. Accumulating evidence reported that the microRNA (miRNA) took an important role in intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). In this study, we revealed a novel miRNA regulatory mechanism in IDD. Main Methods. The miRNA microarray analyses of human degenerated and normal disc samples were employed to screen out the target miRNA. In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to verify the regulatory effect of miR-101-3p. Key Findings. The expression level of miR-101-3p was significantly decreased in the degenerated disc samples which were confirmed by qRT-PCR. Moreover, the miR-101-3p expression level was changed dynamically according to the disc degeneration grade. Upregulation of miR-101-3p expression level inhibited cell apoptosis. Furthermore, stanniocalcin-1 (STC1) was selected to be the target gene of miR-101-3p according to the bioinformatic algorithms. Mechanically, upregulation of miR-101-3p significantly decreased the expression of STC1, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and MAPK pathway expression levels. Therapeutically, in vivo experiment on IDD rat model illustrated that agomir-101-3p could effectively suspend IDD. Significance. Our findings demonstrated that miR-101-3p alleviated IDD process through the STC1/VEGF/MAPK pathway.