Evaluation of miRNA Expression in Patients with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Investigating Diagnostic Potential and Clinical Implications

Purpose

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is common pregnancy complication (8%), characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from pathological homeostatic mechanisms. There's a concerning trend of increasing GDM prevalence. New markers, particularly epigenetic ones, are sought for early detection and enhanced care. miRNA are small non-coding RNA molecules. The main goal was to investigate the potential role of miRNA (miR-16-5p, miR-222-3p, miR-21-5p) in GDM and their association with clinical features.

Patients and Methods

The study included 72 pregnant patients, with 42 having GDM and 30 in the control group. miRNA expression was measured using ELISA.

Results

There were no significant differences in miR-222-3p expression between GDM patients and the control group. The GDM group exhibited a positive correlation between miR-16-5p expression and miR-21-5p expression as well as between miR-16-5p expression and insulin resistance. In the GDM group, a positive correlation was observed between miR-21-5p expression and fasting glucose levels.

Conclusion

Results do not confirm the role of miR-222-3p in GDM pathogenesis or as a diagnostic marker. Additionally, a role for miR-16-5p in GDM pathogenesis was observed. Furthermore, a potential role for miR-21-5p in monitoring GDM treatment is indicated.

MiR-221-3p/222-3p Cluster Expression in Human Adipose Tissue Is Related to Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes

The progression of obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) is intricately linked with adipose tissue (AT) angiogenesis. Despite an established network of microRNAs (miRNAs) regulating AT function, the specific role of angiogenic miRNAs remains less understood. The miR-221/222 cluster has recently emerged as being associated with antiangiogenic activity. However, no studies have explored its role in human AT amidst the concurrent development of obesity and T2D. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the association between the miR-221-3p/222-3p cluster in human AT and its regulatory network with obesity and T2D. MiR-221-3p/222-3p and their target gene (TG) expression levels were quantified through qPCR in visceral (VAT) and subcutaneous (SAT) AT from patients (n = 33) categorized based on BMI as normoweight (NW) and obese (OB) and by glycemic status as normoglycemic (NG) and type 2 diabetic (T2D) subjects. In silico analyses of miR-221-3p/222-3p and their TGs were conducted to identify pertinent signaling pathways. The results of a multivariate analysis, considering the simultaneous expression of miR-221-3p and miR-222-3p as dependent variables, revealed statistically significant distinctions when accounting for variables such as tissue depot, obesity, sex, and T2D as independent factors. Furthermore, both miRNAs and their TGs exhibited differential expression patterns based on obesity severity, glycemic status, sex, and type of AT depot. Our in silico analysis indicated that miR-221-3p/222-3p cluster TGs predominantly participate in angiogenesis, WNT signaling, and apoptosis pathways. In conclusion, these findings underscore a promising avenue for future research, emphasizing the miR-221-3p/222-3p cluster and its associated regulatory networks as potential targets for addressing obesity and related metabolic disorders.

Circulating miR-222-3p is associated with ankylosing spondylitis development and predicts therapeutic efficacy of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic rheumatic disease, and some microRNAs (miRNAs) in AS have been identified. This study aimed to measure miR-222-3p expression in AS patients, investigate the association of miR-222-3p with AS disease activity, and explore the clinical value of miR-222-3p in diagnosing AS and predicting therapeutic efficacy of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on AS patients. This study included 96 patients with AS, 58 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and 90 healthy controls. miR-222-3p expression was detected by reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The ability of miR-222-3p to discriminate between different groups was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic analysis. The predictive value of miR-222-3p on the efficacy of NSAID treatment for AS was assessed by logistic regression analysis. AS patients treated with oral NSAIDs diclofenac sodium were divided into response (n = 76) and no-response (n = 20) groups after 16 weeks of treatment. miR-222-3p in AS patients was higher than that in healthy subjects and RA patients. miR-222-3p had high diagnostic value in distinguishing patients with AS from RA patients and healthy controls. miR-222-3p, increased in active AS patients, had the ability to screen active AS patients from inactive AS patients. miR-222-3p was decreased in the response group, and had high accuracy in predicting the therapeutic efficiency of NSAIDs. The findings indicate that increased miR-222-3p in AS patients may function as a diagnostic biomarker for AS, and predictive biomarker for the therapeutic efficacy of NSAIDs in patients with AS. In addition, miR-222-3p is associated with AS disease activity.

MiR-222-3p suppresses C2C12 myoblast proliferation and differentiation via the inhibition of IRS-1/PI3K/Akt pathway

Numerous studies have revealed the profound impact of microRNAs on regulating skeletal muscle development and regeneration. However, the biological function and regulation mechanism of miR-222-3p in skeletal muscle remains largely unknown. In this study, miR-222-3p was found to be abundantly expressed in the impaired skeletal muscles, indicating that it might have function in the development and regeneration process of the skeletal muscle. MiR-222-3p overexpression impeded C2C12 myoblast proliferation and myogenic differentiation, whereas inhibition of miR-222-3p got the opposite results. The dual-luciferase reporter assay showed that insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) was the target gene of miR-222-3p. We next found that knockdown of IRS-1 could obviously suppress C2C12 myoblast proliferation and differentiation. Additionally, miR-222-3p-induced repression of myoblast proliferation and differentiation was verified to be associated with a decrease in phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt signaling. Overall, we demonstrated that miR-222-3p inhibited C2C12 cells myogenesis via IRS-1/PI3K/Akt pathway. Therefore, miR-222-3p may be used as a therapeutic target for alleviating muscle loss caused by inherited and nonhereditary diseases.

Role of Increased miR-222-3p Expression in Peripheral Blood and Wound Marginal Tissues of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcer

Purpose

To study the correlations of miR-222-3p expression in the peripheral blood and wound marginal tissues of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with the onset of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), as well as explore the clinical value possessed by miR-222-3p in the diagnosis and treatment outcomes of DFU.

Methods

The study included 70 T2DM patients who did not suffer foot ulcers (T2DM group), 146 T2DM patients who suffered foot ulcers (DFU group), as well as 70 normal controls (NC group). Quantitative real-time PCR determined the MiR-222-3p relative expression. Clinical features and risk factors regarding DFU were assessed. Multiple stepwise logistic regression analysis assisted in confirming whether miR-222-3p expression could serve for independently predicting the risk factors for DFU. ROC curve analysis evaluated the diagnostic value exhibited by miR-222-3p level against DFU.

Results

T2DM group exhibited an obviously higher MiR-222-3p expression relative to NC group [1.98 (0.98, 3.62) vs 0.92 (0.61, 1.87)] (P < 0.01), but DFU group exhibited an obviously higher miR-222-3p expression relative to T2DM group [5.61 (1.98, 10.24) vs 1.98 (0.98, 3.62)] (P < 0.01). Besides, miR-222-3p expression presented a negative correlation with DFU healing rate (P < 0.05). According to Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis, the group with high miR-222-3p expression showed higher unhealed DFU cumulative rate relative to the group with low expression (log-rank, P = 0.011, 0.001, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed that high miR-222-3p expressions could independently predict DFU risk (OR=3.85, 95% CI 1.18~12.37, P = 0.008). According to the ROC curve analysis, the AUC of miR-222-3p specific to DFU diagnosis reached 0.803, with the best sensitivity of 95.93% and best specificity of 96.27%.

Conclusion

The increased expression of miR-222-3p in the peripheral blood of T2DM patients is closely related to the occurrence of DFU. MiR-222-3p is a biomarker with potential clinical value in diagnosing and evaluating the prognosis of DFU.

Identification and comprehensive analysis of epithelial-mesenchymal transition related target genes of miR-222-3p in breast cancer

Background

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a crucial mechanism that microRNA-222-3p (miR-222-3p) promotes breast cancer (BC) progression. Our study aimed to identify EMT-associated target genes (ETGs) of miR-222-3p for further analysis of their roles in BC based on bioinformatics tools.

Methods

Based on bioinformatics analysis, we identified 10 core ETGs of miR-222-3p. Then, we performed a comprehensive analysis of 10 ETGs and miR-222-3p, including pathway enrichment analysis of ETGs, differential expression, clinical significance, correlation with immune cell infiltration, immune checkpoint genes (ICGs) expression, tumor mutational burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), stemness, drug sensitivity, and genetic alteration.

Results

The expression of miR222-3p in basal-like BC was significantly higher than in other subtypes of BC and the normal adjacent tissue. Pathway analysis suggested that the ETGs might regulate the EMT process via the PI3K-Akt and HIF-1 signaling pathway. Six of the 10 core ETGs of miR-222-3p identified were down-expressed in BC, which were EGFR, IL6, NRP1, NTRK2, LAMC2, and PIK3R1, and SERPINE1, MUC1, MMP11, and BIRC5 were up-expressed in BC, which also showed potential diagnostic values in BC. Prognosis analysis revealed that higher NTRK2 and PIK3R1 expressions were related to a better prognosis, and higher BIRC5 and miR-222-3p expressions were related to a worse prognosis. Most ETGs and miR-222-3p were positively correlated with various infiltration of various immune cells and ICGs expression. Lower TMB scores were correlated with higher expression of MUC1 and NTRK2, and higher BIRC5 was related to a higher TMB score. Lower expression of MUC1, NTRK2, and PIK3R1 were associated with higher MSI scores. Higher expression of ETGs was associated with lower mRNAsi scores, except BIRC5 and miR-222-3p conversely. Most ETGs and miR-222-3p expression were negatively correlated with the drug IC50 values. The analysis of the genetic alteration of the ETGs suggested that amplification was the main genetic alteration of eight ETGs except for NTRK2 and PIK3R1.

Conclusion

MiR-222-3p might be a specific biomarker of basal-like BC. We successfully identify 10 core ETGs of miR-222-3p, some might be useful diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. The comprehensive analysis of 10 ETGs and miR-222-3p indicated that they might be involved in the development of BC, which might be novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of BC.

Endothelial progenitor cell-derived exosomes promote anti-inflammatory macrophages via SOCS3/JAK2/STAT3 axis and improve the outcome of spinal cord injury

BACKGROUND

Macrophage in the spinal cord injury (SCI) area imparts a chronic pro-inflammation effect that challenges the recovery of SCI. Previously, endothelial progenitor cell-produced exosomes (EPC-EXOs) have been noticed to facilitate revascularization and inflammation control after SCI. However, their effects on macrophage polarization remained unclear. This study aimed to investigate the EPC-EXOs' role in macrophage polarization and reveal its underlying mechanism.

METHODS

We extracted the macrophages and EPC from the bone marrow suspension of C57BL/L mice by centrifugation. After cell identification, the EPC-EXOs were collected by ultra-high-speed centrifugation and exosome extraction kits and identified by transmission electron microscopy and nanoparticle tracking analysis. Then, macrophages were cultured with EPC-EXOs in different concentrations. We labeled the exosome to confirm its internalization by macrophage and detected the macrophage polarization marker level both in vitro and in vivo. We further estimated EPC-EXOs' protective effects on SCI by mice spinal cord tissue H&E staining and motor behavior evaluation. Finally, we performed RT-qPCR to identify the upregulated miRNA in EPC-EXOs and manipulate its expression to estimate its role in macrophage polarization, SOCS3/JAK2/STAT3 pathway activation, and motor behavior improvement.

RESULTS

We found that EPC-EXOs decreased the macrophages' pro-inflammatory marker expression and increased their anti-inflammatory marker expression on the 7 and 14 days after SCI. The spinal cord H&E staining results showed that EPC-EXOs raised the tissue-sparing area rate significantly after 28 days of SCI and the motor behavior evaluation indicated an increased BMS score and motor-evoked potential by EPC-EXOs treatment after SCI. The RT-qPCR assay identified that miR-222-3P upregulated in EPC-EXOs and its miRNA-mimic also decreased the pro-inflammatory macrophages and increased the anti-inflammatory macrophages. Additionally, miR-222-3P mimic activated the SOCS3/JAK2/STAT3 pathway, and SOCS3/JAK2/STAT3 pathway inhibition blocked miR-2223P's effects on macrophage polarization and mouse motor behavior.

CONCLUSION

Comprehensively, we discovered that EPC-EXOs-derived miR-222-3p affected macrophage polarization via SOCS3/JAK2/STAT3 pathway and promoted mouse functional repair after SCI, which reveals EPC-EXOs' role in modulation of macrophage phenotype and will provide a novel interventional strategy to induce post-SCI recovery.

Suppression of microRNA-222-3p ameliorates ulcerative colitis and colitis-associated colorectal cancer to protect against oxidative stress via targeting BRG1 to activate Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway

Oxidative stress is an important pathogenic factor in ulcerative colitis (UC) and colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC), further impairing the entire colon. Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) are crucial components of innate immunity and play an important role in maintaining intestinal barrier function. Recent studies have indicated that microRNA-222-3p (miR-222-3p) is increased in colon of UC and colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, and miR-222-3p is a crucial regulator of oxidative stress. However, whether miR-222-3p influences IEC oxidative stress in UC and CAC remains unknown. This study investigated the effect of miR-222-3p on the regulation of IEC oxidative stress in UC and CAC. An in vitro inflammation model was established in NCM460 colonic cells, mouse UC and CAC models were established in vivo, and IECs were isolated. The biological role and mechanism of miR-222-3p-mediated oxidative stress in UC and CAC were determined. We demonstrated that miR-222-3p expression was notably increased in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced NCM460 cells and IECs from UC and CAC mice. In vitro, these results showed that the downregulation of miR-222-3p reduced oxidative stress, caspase-3 activity, IL-1β and TNF-α in DSS-induced NCM460 cells. We further identified BRG1 as the target gene of miR-222-3p, and downregulating miR-222-3p alleviated DSS-induced oxidative injury via promoting BRG1-mediated activation Nrf2/HO-1 signaling in NCM460 cells. The in vivo results demonstrated that inhibiting miR-222-3p in IECs significantly relieved oxidative stress and inflammation in the damaged colons of UC and CAC mice, as evidenced by decreases in ROS, MDA, IL-1β and TNF-α levels and increases in GSH-Px levels. Our study further demonstrated that inhibiting miR-222-3p in IECs attenuated oxidative damage by targeting BRG1 to activate the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling. In summary, inhibiting miR-222-3p in IECs attenuates oxidative stress by targeting BRG1 to activate the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling, thereby reducing colonic inflammation and tumorigenesis.

Correlation study on serum miR-222-3p and glucose and lipid metabolism in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome

Objective

microRNAs (miRNAs) play pivotal roles in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), an endocrine and metabolic disorder that commonly occurs in women of childbearing age. This paper aimed to measure miR-222-3p expression in sera of PCOS patients and to explore its clinical value on PCOS diagnosis and prediction of diabetic and cardiovascular complications.

Methods

Totally 111 PCOS patients and 94 healthy people were recruited and assigned to the overweight (ow) group and non-overweight (non-ow) group, followed by determination of serum miR-222-3p expression. The diagnostic efficiency of miR-222-3p on PCOS ow and non-ow patients was analyzed. Correlations between miR-222-3p and glycolipid metabolic indicators and diabetic and cardiovascular complications in PCOS were analyzed. The downstream target of miR-222-3p was predicted and their binding relationship was verified. The correlation between PGC-1α and miR-222-3p was analyzed.

Results

miR-222-3p was highly-expressed in PCOS patients (p < 0.001), in especially PCOS ow patients. The area under the curve (AUC) of miR-222-3p diagnosing PCOS non-ow patients was 0.9474 and cut-off value was 1.290 (89.06% sensitivity, 98.11% specificity), indicating that non-ow people with serum miR-222-3p > 1.290 could basically be diagnosed with PCOS. AUC of miR-222-3p diagnosing PCOS ow patients was 0.9647 and cut-off value was 2.425 (85.11% sensitivity, 100% specificity), suggesting that ow people with serum miR-222-3p > 2.425 could basically be diagnosed with PCOS. miR-222-3p was positively-correlated with fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting insulin (FINS), homeostatic model assessment–insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and negatively-correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). miR-222-3p was independently-correlated with diabetic and cardiovascular complications in PCOS (p < 0.05). High expression of miR-222-3p predicted high risks of diabetic and cardiovascular complications in PCOS. miR-222-3p targeted PGC-1α and was negatively-correlated with PGC-1α (r = − 0.2851, p = 0.0224; r = − 0.3151, p = 0.0310).

Conclusion

High expression of miR-222-3p assisted PCOS diagnosis and predicted increased risks of diabetic and cardiovascular complications. miR-222-3p targeted PGC-1α and was negatively-correlated with PGC-1α.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12905-022-01912-w.

Mechanisms underlying microRNA-222-3p modulation of methamphetamine-induced conditioned place preference in the nucleus accumbens in mice

RATIONALE

MicroRNA (miRNA) control of post-transcription gene expression in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) has been implicated in methamphetamine (METH) dependence. Conditioned place preference (CPP) is a classical animal procedure that reflects the rewarding effects of addictive drugs. miR-222-3p has been reported to play a key role in various neurological diseases and is strongly associated with alcohol dependence. Nevertheless, the role of miR-222-3p in METH dependence remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of miR-222-3p in the NAc in METH-induced CPP.

METHODS

miR-222-3p expression in the NAc of METH-induced CPP mice was detected by quantitative real-time (qPCR). Following adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated overexpression or knockdown of miR-222-3p in the NAc, mice were subjected to CPP to investigate the effects of miR-222-3p on METH-induced CPP. Target genes of mir-222-3p were predicted using bioinformatics analysis. Candidate target genes for METH-induced CPP were validated by qPCR.

RESULTS

miR-222-3p expression in the NAc was decreased in CPP mice. Overexpression of miR-222-3p in the NAc blunted METH-induced CPP. Ppp3r1, Cdkn1c, Fmr1, and PPARGC1A were identified as target gene transcripts potentially mediating the effects of miR-222-3p on METH-induced CPP.

CONCLUSION

Our results highlight miR-222-3p as a key epigenetic regulator in METH-induced CPP and suggest a potential role for miR-222-3p in the regulation of METH-induced reward-related changes in the brain.

Identification and Validation of miR-222-3p and miR-409-3p as Plasma Biomarkers in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Sharing Validated Target Genes Involved in Metabolic Homeostasis

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) causes both maternal and fetal adverse outcomes. The deregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) in GDM suggests their involvement in GDM pathogenesis and complications. Exosomes are extracellular vesicles (EVs) of endosomal origin, released via exocytosis into the extracellular compartment. Through EVs, miRNAs are delivered in distant target cells and are able to affect gene expression. In this study, miRNA expression was analyzed to find new miRNAs that could improve GDM classification and molecular characterization. MiRNA were profiled in total plasma and EVs in GDM patients and normal glucose tolerance (NGT) women. Samples were collected at third trimester of gestation from two diabetes centers. MiRNA expression was profiled in a discovery cohort using the multiplexed NanoString nCounter Human v3 miRNA. Validation analysis was performed in a second independent cohort using RT-qPCR. A set of miRNAs resulted to be differentially expressed (DE) in total plasma and EVs in GDM. Among them, total plasma miR-222-3p and miR-409-3p were validated in the independent cohort. MiR-222-3p levels correlated with fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (p < 0.001) and birth weight (p = 0.012), whereas miR-409-3p expression correlated with FPG (p < 0.001) and inversely with gestational age (p = 0.001). The major validated target genes of the deregulated miRNAs were consistently linked to type 2 diabetes and GDM pathophysiology. MiR-222-3p and miR-409-3p are two circulating biomarkers that could improve GDM classification power and act in the context of the molecular events leading to the metabolic alterations observed in GDM.

MiR-222-3p inhibits formation of medulloblastoma stem-like cells by targeting Notch2/c-myc signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Medulloblastoma (MB) is an embryonal tumor of the cerebellum, which commonly occurs in childhood. Herein, we investigated the effects of miR-222-3p on the formation of MB stem-like cells via the Notch2/c-myc pathway.

METHODS

Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) or western blotting was performed to determine the expression of miR-222-3p and Notch2, c-myc, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and caspase-3. Luciferase reporter gene, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), and RNA pull-down assay were applied to confirm the interaction between miR-222-3p and Notch2. Cell growth was examined by Cell Counting Kit-8. Cell cycle distribution and the number of stem cell marker CD133⁺ cells were examined using flow cytometry. The sphere formation assay was performed.

RESULTS

miR-222-3p expression was decreased and Notch2 expression was increased in human medulloblastoma cells. miR-222-3p overexpression inhibited cell viability and the sphere formation, induced cell cycle arrest, decreased the number of CD133⁺ cells, and up-regulated caspase-3 expression and down-regulated PCNA, Notch2, and c-myc expression. However, Notch2 overexpression counteracted these effects of miR-222-3p overexpression. Simultaneous overexpression of Notch2 and miR-222-3p increased the c-myc promoter luciferase activity which was decreased by miR-222-3p overexpression. Luciferase reporter gene, RIP, and RNA pull-down assay revealed that miR-222-3p targeted Notch2.

CONCLUSION

MiR-222-3p suppressed cell viability, altered cell cycle distribution, and inhibited the formation of MB stem-like cells via the Notch2/c-myc pathway.

Circ_0003159 upregulates LIFR expression through competitively binding to miR-221-3p/miR-222-3p to block gastric cancer development

Gastric cancer (GC) remains a major cause of cancer-related deaths. Increasing studies suggest that cancer development is accompanied by the deregulation of circular RNAs. We investigated the function of circ_0003159 in GC. The expression levels of circ_0003159, miR-221-3p/miR-222-3p and leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR) mRNA were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Cell colony formation ability was assessed by colony formation assay, and cell viability was assessed by cell counting kit-8 assay. Cell apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry assay and caspase3 activity. Cell migration and invasion were assessed by transwell assay. Glycolysis energy metabolism was assessed by 5'-triphosphate production, glucose uptake and lactate production. The protein levels of related marker proteins and LIFR were detected by western blot. The relationship between circ_0003159 and miR-221-3p/miR-222-3p, or LIFR and miR-221-3p/miR-222-3p was obtained from bioinformatics tools and verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay. A cancer tumorogenicity xenograft experiment in nude mice was conducted to determine the role of circ_0003159 in tumor growth by AGS cells. Our results showed that circ_0003159 expression was decreased in GC tissues and cells. Circ_0003159 overexpression sequestered GC cell viability, migration, invasion and glycolysis and induced cell apoptosis. MiR-221-3p and miR-222-3p were targets of circ_0003159, and the inhibition of miR-221-3p and miR-222-3p also blocked GC cell viability, migration, invasion and glycolysis and promoted cell apoptosis. LIFR was a common target of miR-221-3p and miR-222-3p. Interestingly, LIFR knockdown reversed the effects of circ_0003159 overexpression on GC cell behaviors. Circ_0003159 increased the expression level of LIFR by targeting miR-221-3p and miR-222-3p. The tumorigenicity assay showed that circ_0003159 overexpression inhibited tumor growth in vivo. In conclusion, circ_0003159 inhibited GC development in vitro and in vivo by enriching the level of LIFR via direct binding to miR-221-3p/miR-222-3p.

BRAFV600E Mutation-Responsive miRNA-222-3p Promotes Metastasis of Papillary Thyroid Cancer Cells via Snail-Induced EMT

BRAF mutation accounts for 50% of the PTC (papillary thyroid carcinoma) and is closely associated with high-risk clinicopathological characteristics. Increasing evidence implied that dysregulation of miRNA participated in carcinogenesis and progression of cancer. Clinical data showed the significant up-regulation of miR-222-3p in PTC; however, the role of miR-222-3p and possible relationship with BRAF mutation remained unclear. Here, we identified significant up-regulation of miR-222-3p in PTC tissues harboring BRAF^V600E mutation compared with BRAF wild type (BRAF^WT ) from collected PTC clinical samples. External validation performed with The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases was consistent with the above result. Exogenous expression of BRAF^V600E oncoprotein increased the expression of miR-222-3p in B-CPAP and TPC-1 cells. The treatment of BRAF^V600E and MEK inhibitor, PLX4720 and PD0325901, decreased the expression of miR-222-3p in B-CPAP but not in TPC-1. Inhibition of miR-222-3p significantly suppressed the migration of B-CPAP and induced a mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) phenotype via the Snail transcription factor. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis demonstrated the up-regulation of Snail correlated with lymph node metastasis and BRAF^V600E mutation in PTC. Besides, in situ hybridization (ISH) and IHC analysis of PTC clinical samples confirmed the correlation between the expression of miR-222-3p and Snail. These results showed miR-222-3p conduced more aggressive clinical manifestation of PTC by promoting Snail-induced EMT.

Circ_0006768 upregulation attenuates oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation-induced human brain microvascular endothelial cell injuries by upregulating VEZF1 via miR-222-3p inhibition

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been widely implicated in multiple diseases, including ischemic stroke. This study aimed to explore the function and functional mechanism of circ_0006768 in oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R)-induced brain injury models of ischemic stroke. Human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) were induced by OGD/R to mimic ischemic stroke models in vitro. The expression of circ_0006768, microRNA-222-3p (miR-222-3p) and vascular endothelial zinc finger 1 (VEZF1) was detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Cell viability, angiogenesis ability and cell migration were assessed by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, tube formation assay and wound healing assay, respectively. The releases of pro-inflammatory factors were determined by commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. The protein levels of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), N-cadherin and VEZF1 were detected by western blot. The putative relationship between miR-222-3p and circ_0006768 or VEZF1 was validated by dual-luciferase reporter assay, RNA Immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay and pull-down assay. Circ_0006768 was poorly expressed in ischemic stroke plasma and OGD/R-induced HBMECs. OGD/R inhibited cell viability, angiogenesis and cell migration and promoted the releases of pro-inflammatory factors, while circ_0006768 overexpression or miR-222-3p inhibition partially abolished the effects of OGD/R. MiR-222-3p was targeted by circ_0006768, and VEZF1 was a target of miR-222-3p. Circ_0006768 enriched the expression of VEZF1 via mediating miR-222-3p inhibition. Rescue experiments presented that the effects of circ_0006768 overexpression were reversed by miR-222-3p restoration or VEZF1 knockdown. Circ_0006768 overexpression attenuates OGD/R-induced HBMEC injuries by upregulating VEZF1 via miR-222-3p inhibition.

MiR-222-3p Inhibits Trophoblast Cell Migration and Alleviates Preeclampsia in Rats Through Inhibiting HDAC6 and Notch1 Signaling

MiR-222-3p was found to be upregulated in plasma of patients with severe preeclampsia (PE). However, its role in PE progression remains elusive. This study aimed to explore the underlying role and mechanism of miR-222-3p in PE progression. Herein, we verified that miR-222-3p was upregulated and HDAC6 mRNA was downregulated in placentas of PE patients compared with normal pregnant controls as measured by RT-qPCR. And miR-222-3p expression was negatively correlated with HDAC6 mRNA expression in PE patients. HTR8/SVneo trophoblast cells were transfected with miR-222-3p mimic or miR-222-3p inhibitor, and we found that MiR-222-3p overexpression inhibited proliferation, migration, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 levels in HTR-8/SVneo cells, while miR-222-3p silencing showed the opposite results. Online bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed that HDAC6 was a target of miR-222-3p. HDAC6 overexpression promoted HTR-8/SVneo cell proliferation and migration, while HDAC6 knockdown suppressed cell proliferation and migration. Moreover, HDAC6 overexpression and Notch1 signaling activation both reversed the inhibitory effects of miR-222-3p on trophoblast cell proliferation and migration. Additionally, treatment with miR-222-3p inhibitor attenuated blood pressure and fetal detrimental changes in PE rats. Collectively, our findings suggested that MiR-222-3p inhibited HDAC6 expression and blocked the Notch1 signaling, thus suppressing trophoblast cell proliferation and migration and attenuating blood pressure and fetal detrimental changes in PE rats, which is expected to become a therapeutic target for PE.

miR-222-3p is involved in neural tube closure by directly targeting Ddit4 in RA induced NTDs mouse model

Previously our results showed miR-222-3p was significantly downregulated in retinoic acid-induced neural tube defect (NTD) mouse model through transcriptome. Down-regulation of miR-222-3p may be a causative biomarker in NTDs. In this study, RNA was extracted from mouse embryos at E8.5, E9.5 and E10.5, and the expression level of miR-222-3p was measured by quantitative real-time PCR analysis. The preliminary mechanism of miR-222-3p in NTDs involved in cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration was investigated in mouse HT-22 cell line. The expression of miR-222-3p was significantly decreased at E8.5, E9.5 and E10.5 developed in mouse embryos which were consistent with our transcriptome sequencing. Suppression of miR-222-3p in HT-22 cells resulted in the inhibition of cell proliferation and migration, cell cycle and apoptosis. Moreover, DNA damage transcript 4 (Ddit4) was identified as a direct and functional target of miR-222-3p. miR-222-3p is negatively regulated by Ddit4. The mutation of binding site of Ddit4 3'UTR abrogated the responsiveness of luciferase reporters to miR-222-3p and showed that Ddit4 expression partially attenuated the function of miR-222-3p. We preliminatively confirmed that low expression of miR-222-3p has reduced the expression of β-catenin, TCF4 and other related genes in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.Collectively, these results demonstrated that miR-222-3p regulates the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway through Ddit4 inhibition in HT-22 cells, resulted in cell proliferation and apoptosis imbalance, and thus led to neural tube defects.

MiR-222-3p induced by hepatitis B virus promotes the proliferation and inhibits apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma by upregulating THBS1

This study aimed to explore the role of miR-222-3p in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MiR-222-3p expression in tumor tissues of HBV (+) or HBV (-) HCC patients and corresponding cell lines was detected by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). Cell proliferation was assessed by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assays. Cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry. The potential targets of miR-222-3p were predicted by Targetscan, and the binding relationship between miR-222-3p and thrombospondin-1 (THBS1) was determined by luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay. MiR-222-3p was significantly upregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines and further elevated by HBV infection. MiR-222-3p downregulation effectively inhibited the proliferation and induced the apoptosis of HBV (-) HepG2 cells, HBV (+) HepG2.2.15 cells, Huh7-V cells, and Huh7-HBV cells. In addition, miR-222-3p overexpression enhanced the proliferation of these cell lines but exhibited no obvious effect on their apoptosis. Mechanistically, miR-222-3p was directly bound to the 3'-UTR of THBS1 and acted as its competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA). Interestingly, THBS1 silencing attenuated the inhibitory effect of miR-222-3p downregulation on the proliferation of these cell lines in vitro. Our results revealed that HBV infection further increased miR-222-3p expression and promoted HCC progression via miR-222-3p-mediated THBS1 downregulation. Our findings suggest that miR-222-3p might be a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target for HCC and HBV-related HCC.

Blocking HOTAIR protects human chondrocytes against IL-1β-induced cell apoptosis, ECM degradation, inflammatory response and oxidative stress via regulating miR-222-3p/ADAM10 axis

BACKGROUND

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR) contributes to cartilage damages including osteoarthritis (OA). While, its role and mechanism in chondrocytes is incompletely clear.

METHODS

HOTAIR, microRNA (miR)-222-3p and ADAM metalloproteinase-like domain 10 (ADAM10) expressions were detected by real-time quantitative PCR and western blotting. The interaction between miR-222-3p and HOTAIR or ADAM10 was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Cell injury was measured by MTS method, flow cytometry, western blotting, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for collagen Type II, type X, sex determining region Y-box 9 (SOX9), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and special assay kits for malondialdehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and superoxide dismutase (SOD).

RESULTS

HOTAIR was highly expressed in human OA cartilages and IL-1β-induced OA model in immortalized chondrocytes (C-28/I2). Under IL-1β stress, blocking HOTAIR was responsible to high mitochondrial activity and low early apoptosis rate, accompanied with increased B cell lymphoma (Bcl)-2 and LC3B-II/I proteins, boosted IL-10 and SOD productions, suppressed cleaved caspase-3 and p62 proteins, and decreased MDA and ROS levels, as well as elevated secretions of Type II collagen, Type X collagen, SOX9, MMP-13, IL-6, and TNF-α. Moreover, miR-222-3p was a target of HOTAIR, and its overexpression and knockdown could suppress and aggravate IL-1β-induced chondrocytes injury. Furthermore, restoring ADAM10, a target gene of miR-222-3p, counteracted the protective role of miR-222-3p upregulation.

CONCLUSION

HOTAIR might contribute to IL-1β-induced chondrocytes death, inflammation, extracellular matrix degradation, and oxidative stress in OA via miR-222-3p/ADAM10 axis.

MicroRNAs Targeting HIF-2α, VEGFR1 and/or VEGFR2 as Potential Predictive Biomarkers for VEGFR Tyrosine Kinase and HIF-2α Inhibitors in Metastatic Clear-Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Metastatic clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (m-ccRCC) is characterized by increased hypoxia-induced factor (HIF)-2α and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-dependent angiogenesis through loss of function of the von Hippel-Lindau protein. VEGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (VEGFR-TKIs) are a cornerstone of m-ccRCC treatment, and new treatments targeting HIF-2α are currently under investigation. However, predictive biomarkers for these treatments are lacking. In this retrospective cohort study including 109 patients treated with VEGFR-targeted therapies as first-line treatment, we aimed to study the possible predictive function of microRNAs (miRNAs) targeting HIF-2α, VEGFR1 and VEGFR2. We selected miRNAs inversely correlated with HIF-2α, VEGFR1 and/or VEGFR2 expression and with predicted target sites in the respective genes and subsequently studied their impact on therapeutic outcomes. We identified four miRNAs (miR-34c-5p, miR-221-3p, miR-222-3p and miR-3529-3p) inversely correlated with VEGFR1 and/or VEGFR2 expression and associated with tumor shrinkage and progression-free survival (PFS) upon treatment with VEGFR-TKIs, highlighting the potential predictive value of these miRNAs. Moreover, we identified three miRNAs (miR-185-5p, miR-223-3p and miR-3529-3p) inversely correlated with HIF-2α expression and associated with tumor shrinkage and PFS upon treatment with VEGFR-TKIs. These three miRNAs can have a predictive value not only upon treatment with VEGFR-TKIs but possibly also upon treatment with the upcoming HIF-2α inhibitor belzutifan.

Circular RNA circZNF292 regulates H2 O2 -induced injury in human lens epithelial HLE-B3 cells depending on the regulation of the miR-222-3p/E2F3 axis

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play important roles in the pathogenesis of age-related cataract (ARC). CircRNA zinc finger protein 292 (circZNF292, hsa_circ_0004058) is downregulated in ARC lens capsules. Here, we focused on its precise roles in oxidative stress underlying the pathogenesis of ARC. CircZNF292, microRNA (miR)-222-3p, and E2F transcription factor 3 (E2F3) were quantified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction or western blot. Cell viability was assessed by the cell counting kit-8 assay. Cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry. The activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and malondialdehyde were measured using the corresponding assay kit. Targeted correlations among circZNF292, miR-222-3p, and E2F3 were verified by the dual-luciferase reporter, RNA immunoprecipitation and RNA pull-down assays. Our data showed that circZNF292 was downregulated in ARC tissues and H₂ O₂ -treated human lens epithelial B3 (HLE-B3) cells. Increased expression of circZNF292 alleviated H₂ O₂ -induced cell viability suppression, apoptosis promotion, and oxidative stress enhancement. Mechanistically, circZNF292 directly targeted miR-222-3p, and circZNF292 regulated E2F3 expression through miR-222-3p. MiR-222-3p was a functional mediator of circZNF292 in modulating H₂ O₂ -induced injury in HLE-B3 cells. Furthermore, reduced level of miR-222-3p ameliorated H₂ O₂ -induced HLE-B3 cell damage by upregulating E2F3. Our present study demonstrated that increased expression of circZNF292 ameliorated H₂ O₂ -induced injury in HLE-B3 cells at least in part through the miR-222-3p/E2F3 axis, highlighting a novel insight into the involvement of circRNAs in the pathogenesis of ARC.

MiR-222-3p downregulation prompted the migration, invasion and recruitment of endothelial progenitor cells via ADIPOR1 expression increase-induced AMKP activation

BACKGROUND

Clinical data show that aneurysm rupture causes high mortality in aged men. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) were reported to regulate endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) which play a vital role in repairing endothelial damage and maintaining vascular integrity. This study identified a novel miRNA regulator for the functions of EPCs in aneurysm repair.

METHODS

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) model was established on Sprague-Dawley rats which later underwent antagomiR-222 treatment. The histopathological changes of AAA rats were examined by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Flow cytometry was performed to quantify EPCs in peripheral blood and identify EPCs isolated from the rat femur. The potential target of miR-222-3p was predicted by TargetScan v7.2 and validated by Dual-luciferase reporter assay. The effects of miR-222-3p and ADIPOR1 on the migration, invasion and tube formation of EPCs were evaluated by wound healing, Transwell and tube formation assays. The expressions of miR-222-3p and ADIPOR1 in aortic aneurysm tissues and EPCs were assessed by qRT-PCR or Western blot.

RESULTS

AAA exhibited histopathological abnormality, a decreased number of EPCs in the peripheral blood and an increased miR-222-3p expression. AntagomiR-222 injection reversed all these phenomena in AAA rats. Upregulating miR-222-3p expression inhibited the migration, invasion, and tube formation of EPCs, and the expressions of ADIPOR1 and phosphorylated-AMKP, while downregulating miR-222-3p expression exerted opposite effects in EPCs. ADIPOR1 was identified as a target gene of miR-222-3p. Overexpressing ADIPOR1 abrogated the effects of miR-222-3p upregulation on EPCs.

CONCLUSION

Downregulated miR-222-3p prompted the migration, invasion and recruitment of EPCs by targeting ADIPOR1-induced AMKP activation.

Circ_HIPK3 alleviates CoCl2-induced apoptotic injury in neuronal cells by depending on the regulation of the miR-222-3p/DUSP19 axis

Circular RNA (circRNA) homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 3 (circ_HIPK3) has recently reported as regulator in spinal cord injury (SCI). The regulatory mechanism of circ_HIPK3 in SCI was further researched in this study. Circ_HIPK3 expression was inhibited by CoCl₂ in AGE1.HN cells. The CoCl₂-induced cell cycle arrest, cell proliferation inhibition and apoptosis promotion were mitigated by overexpression of circ_HIPK3. Circ_HIPK3 could target miR-222-3p and circ_HIPK3 repressed the CoCl₂-induced neuronal cell injury by sponging miR-222-3p. DUSP19 was a target gene of miR-222-3p and circ_HIPK3 affected the expression of DUSP19 via binding to miR-222-3p. The regulation of circ_HIPK3 in CoCl₂-induced injury of AGE1.HN cells was associated with the upregulation of DUSP19. Circ_HIPK3 acted as a pathogenic inhibitor in the progression of SCI via the miR-222-3p-mediated DUSP19 upregulation.

Tectorigenin regulates migration, invasion, and apoptosis in dexamethasone-induced human airway epithelial cells through up-regulating miR-222-3p

Glucocorticoids (GCs) can effectively control airway inflammation, but can also cause airway epithelial injury. Tectorigenin, a type of isoflavone isolated from various medicinal plants, has hypolipidemic activity, hepatoprotective, and antioxidant effects. We aimed to investigate whether Tectorigenin can repair GCs-induced airway epithelial injury. Airway epithelial cell line (9HTE cells) were treated with dexamethasone (Dex), Tectorigenin, or further transfected, then cell viability, migration, and invasion were examined by Cell Counting Kit (CCK-8), wound healing, and Transwell assays. The expressions of potential miRNAs related to the effect of Tectorigenin were detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Expressions of poptosis-related proteins Bcl-2-associated protein-X (Bax), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Cleaved Caspase-3, and related to Mitorgen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway serine/threonine kinase (Raf1), extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase 1/2 (MEK1/2), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) were detected by Western blot. Dex inhibited the cell viability, migration and invasion by promoting Bax and Cleaved Caspase-3 expressions (p <.001) and by inhibiting the expressions of Bcl-2 and miR-222-3p (p <.001). Then, 10 μmol/L Tectorigenin itself did not affect cell viability but could inhibit the effect of Dex on cell viability, migration, and invasion. Tectorigenin up-regulated the expressions of miR-222-3p, Bcl-2, p-Raf1, p-MEK1/2, and p-ERK1/2 (p <.01), but down-regulated the expressions of Bax and Cleaved Caspase-3 (p <.05) in Dex-induced cells. MiR-222-3p inhibitor reversed the antagonistic effect of Tectorigenin on Dex. The study demonstrates that Tectorigenin inhibits apoptosis of Dex-induced 9HTE cells by up-regulating the expression of miR-222-3p, which involves with the MAPK pathway.

LncRNA NEAT1 Promotes High Glucose-Induced Mesangial Cell Hypertrophy by Targeting miR-222-3p/CDKN1B Axis

Glomerular hypertrophy is an early morphological alteration in diabetic nephropathy. Cyclin-Dependent Kinases have been shown to be required for high glucose (HG)-induced hypertrophy; however, the upstream regulators of CDKN1B in glomerular hypertrophy remain unclear. Herein we describe a novel pathway in which Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) NEAT1 regulates the progression of mesangial cell hypertrophy via a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanism. Real-time PCR was performed to detect the relative NEAT1 and miR-222-3p expressions and further confirmed the relationship between NEAT1 and miR-222-3p. Cell cycle was evaluated by flow cytometry. The related mechanisms were explored by Western blot, RNA immunoprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. We show that NEAT1 forms double stranded RNA (dsRNA) with miR-222-3p, thus limiting miR-222-3p's binding with CDKN1B. This release of CDKN1B mRNA leads to elevated CDKN1B protein expression, resulting in hypertrophy. In addition, we demonstrated that STAT3 which is activated by HG induces the transcription of NEAT1 by binding to its promoter. Our findings underscore an unexpected role of lncRNAs on gene regulation and introduce a new mode of proliferation regulation in mesangial cells.

An increased level of MiR-222-3p is associated with TMP2 suppression, ERK activation and is associated with metastasis and a poor prognosis in renal clear cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common malignancy involving the kidneys and a major cause of cancer mortality. The involvement of microRNA (miRNA) expression in the tumorigenesis and progression of RCC still not been previously highlighted. We aimed to explore the potential role of miR-222-3p in renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

METHOD

We first found that miR-222-3p was elevated significantly in the RCC tissues as compared to the non-tumor counterparts. We also found that a higher level of miR-222-3p in different RCC cell lines than the HK-2 cells.

RESULTS

In vitro validation experiment using miR-222-3p mimic molecules significantly induced expression of EMT marker vimentin and downregulated E-cadherin in both 769-P and 786-O RCC cells. In contrary, when miR-222-3p was downregulated by its inhibitor, the reverse observations were made. We then demonstrated a reversal association between the expression level of miR-222-3p and TIMP2/ERK where TIMP2 functions as a tumor suppressor. In a small cohort of 45 clinical samples, we found that miR-222-3p expression level was elevated and was associated with a poorer survival of the patients. Patients with higher miR-222-3p expression showed had a statistically shorter overall survival than those patients of lower miR-222-3p level (HR, 5.789; p= 0.02).

CONCLUSION

Collectively, we showed that miR-222-3p functioned as a tumor progression marker and could be a target for future drug development.

Prognostic and Immune-Infiltrate Significance of miR-222-3p and Its Target Genes in Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid cancer (THCA) is a common endocrine malignancy. With increasing incidence and low mortality, balancing the therapeutic approach is an inevitable issue. This study aimed to confirm the role of miR-222-3p and its target genes in THCA survival and immune infiltration. From different expression analyses based on the GEO and TCGA databases, we predicted and subsequently identified the key target genes of miR-222-3p. We then explored the expression, enrichment, pairwise correlation, protein expression, survival analysis, principal component analysis, and immune significance of the critical genes using bioinformatics analysis. The present study demonstrated that NEGR1, NTNG1, XPNPEP2, NTNG2, CD109, OPCML, and PRND are critical genes. The miR-222-3p was highly expressed, probably leading to low NEGR1 and high PRND expression in THCA tissues. Low NEGR1 expression indicated favorable prognosis in THCA patients, and high PRND expression indicated poor prognosis. Seven critical genes were significantly related to gender, age, race, tumor stage, and lymph node metastasis. In addition, the seven-gene biomarker exhibited a certain diagnostic value. Finally, CD109 expression was closely correlated with immune cells, especially B cells and CD4⁺ T cells. The miR-222-3p and its critical target genes could be promising biomarkers for the prognosis of THCA and may emerge as key regulators of immune infiltration in THCA.

LncRNA GAS5 alleviates rheumatoid arthritis through regulating miR-222-3p/Sirt1 signalling axis

INTRODUCTION

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that affects millions of people. Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) located in rheumatoid panni play a pivotal role in the formation of RA. The long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) GAS5 is reportedly downregulated in rheumatoid arthritis. However, its detailed mechanism in RA remains to be explored. This study investigated the roles and related mechanisms of GAS5 in RA.

METHODS

The expression levels of GAS5, miR-222-3p, and sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) were evaluated by quantitative PCR (qPCR). Cell proliferation was analyzed by CCK-8 and BrdU assays. Cell apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry and western blotting. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was utilized to evaluate the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. The interaction between GAS5 or Sirt1 and miR-222-3p was predicted by starBase and validated by dual-luciferase reporter assay.

RESULTS

GAS5 expression was found to be downregulated in the serum samples of RA patients and in RA-FLSs. GAS5 overexpression or the inhibition of miR-222-3p impeded the activity of RA-FLSs by repressing their proliferation and inflammation and by promoting apoptosis. Mechanistically, GAS5 indirectly regulates Sirt1 expression by binding miR-222-3p. Further experiments confirmed that Sirt1 overexpression restored the anti-RA activity of GAS5 under miR-222-3p mimic.

CONCLUSIONS

The miR-222-3p/Sirt1 axis was found to be critical for the function of GAS5 in regulating the proliferation, inflammation, and apoptosis of RA-FLSs. These data indicate GAS5 activation as a potential therapeutic strategy for RA progression.

HOXC10 promotes tumour metastasis by regulating the EMT-related gene Slug in ovarian cancer

The mortality rate of ovarian cancer is the highest among gynaecological cancers, primarily due to metastatic symptoms. Recent studies have shown that HOX genes are crucial in tumour progression, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, HOXC10 expression was examined in ovarian cancer tissues. The function of HOXC10 in ovarian cancer metastasis was investigated in vitroand via intraperitoneal injection in vivo. A total of 158 ovarian cancer patients with adequate records were enrolled for analysis. HOXC10 was associated with metastasis and poor prognosis in ovarian cancer. In vitro, HOXC10 overexpression promoted ovarian cancer cell migration. Moreover, HOXC10 positively regulated Slug expression, altering the migration ability of cancer cells. Furthermore, our study showed that miR-222-3p was a suppressor of HOXC10. In vivo, a decrease in hepatic metastasis was seen in xenograft mice harbouring tumours with stable HOXC10 overexpression after miR-222-3p agomir (an overexpression reagent) injection. This study provides the first evidence that HOXC10 promotes ovarian cancer metastasis by regulating the transcription of the EMT-related gene Slug. Moreover, we found that HOXC10 is regulated by miR-222-3p. These data highlight the crucial role of HOXC10 in enhancing ovarian cancer metastasis and may provide a therapeutic target for ovarian cancer.

miR-221-3p and miR-222-3p downregulation promoted osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchyme stem cells through IGF-1/ERK pathway under high glucose condition

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate the roles of miR-221-3p and miR-222-3p in the regulation of osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchyme stem cells (BMSCs) under high glucose condition.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The expreesions of miR-221-3p, miR-222-3p and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) were detected by qRT-PCR. The protein levels of osteoblast-related proteins (Osterix, Runx-2 and Osteopontin) were detected by western blot. Whether miR-221-3p and miR-222-3p can target IGF-1 was assessed by dual luciferase reporter gene assay.

RESULTS

miR-221-3p and miR-222-3p were up-regulated in the mandibles of diabetic rats and BMSCs cultured in high glucose condition. Silencing miR-221-3p or/ and miR-222-3p increased ALP activity and up-regulated osteoblast-related protein levels, and the simultaneous silence the two miRNAs showed stronger effects on ALP activity and osteoblast-related protein levels. Next, we confirmed that miR-221-3p and miR-222-3p both targeted IGF-1 and cooperatively regulated its expression. Besides, miR-221-3p and miR-222-3p regulated ERK activation through IGF-1. Silencing miR-221-3p and miR-222-3p promoted osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs through IGF-1 under high glucose condition.

CONCLUSION

miR-221-3p and miR-222-3p inhibited osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs via IGF-1/ERK pathway under high glucose condition.

Non-canonical signaling pathway of SNAI2 induces EMT in ovarian cancer cells by suppressing miR-222-3p transcription and upregulating PDCD10

Background: Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is one of the most lethal malignancies in women worldwide. Many studies showed the transcription factor SNAI2-induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) through inhibiting E-cadherin (E-cad) expression. Our previous study reported that miR-222-3p was an important tumor-suppressive miRNA for EOC development and dissemination. The present study aimed to acquire a deeper mechanistic understanding of the role of miR-222-3p regulation that might contribute to improving current anti-metastasis strategies in EOC. Methods: A variety of techniques were used to measure mRNA and protein expression levels, including quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), Western blot, immunohistochemical (IHC) staining, and immunofluorescence (IF). Four different microRNA (miRNA) target prediction databases were used to predict the target genes of miR-222. Luciferase assay was performed to determine the direct binding of miR-222-3p to the untranslated region (3'-UTR) of PDCD10. The biological effects of PDCD10 and miR-222-3p were also investigated in vitro by Transwell and wound healing assays, as well as in vivo by a xenograft mice model. Combining UCSC and JASPAR, as well as ENCODE public databases, we predicted that the transcription factor SNAI2 could affect miR-222-3p expression. Luciferase assay was utilized to examine the validity of putative SNAI2 binding sites for miR-222-3p regulation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) was used to explore the SNAI2's occupancy on the miR-222-3p promoter. Results: We observed the inhibitory effect of SNAI2 on miR-222-3p transcription and confirmed the tumor-suppressive function of miR-222-3p both in EOC cells and tissues. PDCD10 was upregulated and inversely correlated with miR-222-3p, both in vitro and in vivo, which was consistent with the information in bioinformatics databases. Furthermore, We observed direct binding of miR-222-3p to the 3'-UTR of PDCD10 and inhibition of PDCD10 translation, which, in turn, inhibited EOC cell migration in vitro and repressed EOC xenografted tumor metastasis in vivo. We found that genetic overexpression of PDCD10 (OE-PDCD10) increased cancer metastasis by down-regulating E-cad and enhancing Vimentin (VIM) thereby inducing EMT and promoting β-catenin/Wnt-mediated cell migration.

Exosomes derived from human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells transfer miR-222-3p to suppress acute myeloid leukemia cell proliferation by targeting IRF2/INPP4B

AIM

This study aims to explore the role and mechanism of exosomes derived from human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs-Exo) in regulating proliferation and apoptosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell line THP-1.

METHODS

hBM-MSCs-Exo was isolated by ultra-centrifugation and administered into THP-1 cells to elucidate the effects of exosomes in THP-1 cells. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were examined by CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry, respectively. The expression of miR-222-3p, IRF2, and INPP4B were measured by qRT-PCR and western blot. The interaction between miR-222-3p and IRF2 was analyzed by luciferase reporter assay.

RESULTS

Lower cell viability rate, higher apoptosis ratio, higher miR-222-3p expression, and lower IRF1/INPP4B expression were observed in THP-1 cells exposed to BM-MSCs-Exo. The proliferation-inhibitory and pro-apoptotic effects of BM-MSCs-Exo on THP-1 cells were markedly compromised when miR-222-3p expression in BM-MSCs-Exo was inhibited. Furthermore, miR-222-3p directly targeted IRF2 and negatively regulated IRF2/INPP4B signaling in THP-1 cells. Moreover, overexpression of either IRF2 or INPP4B counteracted the proliferation-inhibitory and pro-apoptotic effects mediated by BM-MSCs-Exo.

CONCLUSION

BM-MSCs delivered miR-222-3p via exosomes to inhibit cell proliferation and promote cell apoptosis by targeting IRF2 and negatively regulating IRF2/INPP4B signaling in THP-1 cells.

MiR-222-3p Promotes Cell Proliferation and Inhibits Apoptosis by Targeting PUMA (BBC3) in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

MicroRNAs have been demonstrated to be critical regulators in tumor progression, including non-small cell lung cancer. MicroRNA-222-3p has been reported to function as a tumor suppressor or oncogene in several types of cancer, but its function role in non-small cell lung cancer has not been uncovered. In this study, we first found the expression of microRNA-222-3p was significantly increased in non-small cell lung cancer tissues and cell lines. MicroRNA-222-3p inhibitor decreased the activity of non-small cell lung cancer cells to proliferate and increased cell apoptosis using cell counting kit-8, flow cytometry, and caspase-3 activity analysis. Overexpressed microRNA-222-3p in non-small cell lung cancer cells promoted cell proliferation, but decreased cell apoptosis. Moreover, Bcl-2-binding component 3 was the target gene of microRNA-222-3p, and its knockdown weakened the regulatory effect of microRNA-222-3p inhibitor on cell proliferation and apoptosis in non-small cell lung cancer cells. In conclusion, microRNA-222-3p plays a significant role in the regulation of Bcl-2-binding component 3 expression and might be a promising target for clinical non-small cell lung cancer therapy.

Inhibition of miRNA-222-3p Relieves Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B-Induced Liver Inflammatory Injury by Upregulating Suppressors of Cytokine Signaling 1

PURPOSE

Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) has been well-documented to induce liver injury. miRNA-222-3p (miR-222-3p) was implicated in SEB-induced lung injury and several liver injuries. This study aimed to explore the role of miR-222-3p in SEB-induced liver injury.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Expression of miR-222-3p and suppressors of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) was detected using real-time quantitative PCR and western blot. Liver injury was determined by levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and inflammatory cytokines, numbers of infiltrating mononuclear cells using AST/ALT assay kit, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and hematoxylin-eosin staining, respectively. Target binding between miR-222-3p and SOCS1 was predicted on targetScan software, and confirmed by luciferase reporter assay.

RESULTS

SEB induced liver injury in D-galactosamine (D-gal)-sensitized mice, as demonstrated by increased serum levels of AST and ALT, elevated release of interferon-gamma (INF-γ), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-2, and promoted infiltrating immune cells into liver. Expression of miR-222-3p was dramatically upregulated, and SOCS1 was downregulated in SEB-induced liver injury both in mice and splenocytes. Moreover, miR-222-3p knockout (KO) mice exhibited alleviated liver injury accompanied with SOCS1 upregulation. Besides, splenocytes under SEB challenge released less INF-γ, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-2 during miR-222-3p knockdown. Mechanically, SOCS1 was targeted and downregulated by miR-222-3p. Upregulation of SOCS1 attenuated INF-γ, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-2 release in SEB-induced splenocytes; downregulation of SOCS1 could block the suppressive role of miR-222-3p knockdown in SEB-induced splenocytes.

CONCLUSION

Inhibition of miR-222-3p relieves SEB-induced liver inflammatory injury by upregulating SOCS1, thereby providing the first evidence of miR-222-3p in SEB-induced liver injury.

Long noncoding RNA GAS5 impairs the proliferation and invasion of endometrial carcinoma induced by high glucose via targeting miR-222-3p/p27

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified to be critical functional regulator in the human tumors, while the deepgoing mechanism by which lncRNAs modulates the endometrial carcinoma is still elusive. In this work, we found that lncRNA GAS5 was under-expressed in the endometrial carcinoma tissue specimens, especially these samples with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Besides, the aberrant under-expression of GAS5 was correlated with the advanced tumor stage as well as poor prognosis outcome. In cellular experiments, GAS5 was decreased in the cells exposed to the high glucose. Enforced GAS5 expression repressed the tumor phenotype of endometrial carcinoma cells, including proliferation and invasion. Molecular mechanism study further demonstrated that GAS5 functioned as a sponge for miR-222-3p, abrogating its ability of inhibiting p27 protein expression. In conclusion, these results confirmed the vital regulation of GAS5/miR-222-3p/p27 axis in the endometrial carcinoma tumorigenesis.

MiR-222-3p in Platelets Serves as a Distinguishing Marker for Early Recognition of Kawasaki Disease

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute vasculitis, which leads to 20% of sufferers developing coronary artery aneurysm in children if not appropriately treated. Therefore, the early diagnosis of KD is essential for alleviating the risk of developing heart disease. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a large class of small non-coding RNAs which post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression and have been shown to play critical roles in numerous biological processes and diseases. In this study, we used high-throughput miRNA sequencing and found dozens of miRNAs are highly expressed in platelets. By comparing the miRNA expression profile of platelets of acute KD patients and other febrile patients, miR-222-3p is validated to be significantly upregulated in platelets of acute KD patients. Furthermore, KEGG pathway analysis shows that targets of miR-222-3p are enriched in immune-related signaling pathways. Our study uncovers the potential of miR-222-3p in platelets as biomarker for early diagnosis of Kawasaki disease.

Overexpression of miR-222-3p Promotes the Proliferation and Inhibits the Apoptosis of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Cells via Suppressing PPP2R2A

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate the effects of microRNA-222-3p on activated B cell-like-type diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cells and the regulatory relationship between microRNA-222-3p and phosphatase 2 regulatory subunit B alpha.

METHOD

The expression of microRNA-222-3p was detected in activated B cell-like-type diffuse large B-cell lymphoma tissues and cells by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The regulatory effects of microRNA-222-3p on the proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis of activated B cell-like-type diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cells were analyzed by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT), colony formation, flow cytometry, and Transwell assay. The regulatory relationship between microRNA-222-3p and phosphatase 2 regulatory subunit B alpha was determined by luciferase reporter gene and RNA pull-down assay. In addition, the effects of microRNA-222-3p on tumor growth were further analyzed in mice.

RESULTS

MicroRNA-222-3p and phosphatase 2 regulatory subunit B alpha were significantly up- and downregulated in activated B cell-like-type diffuse large B-cell lymphoma tissues and cells, respectively. Phosphatase 2 regulatory subunit B alpha was a target of microRNA-222-3p. MicroRNA-222-3p promoted the proliferation and invasion and inhibited the apoptosis of activated B cell-like-type diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cells. Phosphatase 2 regulatory subunit B alpha reversed the tumor-promoting effects of microRNA-222-3p on activated B cell-like-type diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cells. In addition, microRNA-222-3p promoted the tumor growth in mice and downregulated phosphatase 2 regulatory subunit B alpha in tumor tissues.

CONCLUSION

MicroRNA-222-3p promoted the proliferation and invasion and inhibited the apoptosis of activated B cell-like-type diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cells through suppressing phosphatase 2 regulatory subunit B alpha expression.

Suppression of mouse miRNA-222-3p in response to Echinococcus multilocularis infection

During Echinococcus multilocularis infection, serum miR-222-3p is dramatically downregulated, but its role is yet to be established. Here the expression of miR-222-3p in the spleen of infected mice was shown to be significantly decreased in response to parasite infection (p < 0.05). Using RAW264.7 macrophages, it was further demonstrated that E. multilocularis crude antigens significantly inhibited miR-222-3p expression (p < 0.01). In macrophages transfected with a miR-222-3p inhibitor, NO secretion was moderately decreased compared with the control (p < 0.05). Although all the pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine genes tested kept constant in expression, four key genes involved in the LPS/TLR4 signaling pathway were significantly down- or up-regulated in transfected cells (p < 0.05), including CD14, TLR4, TICAM2 and AP-1. These results suggest that downregulated miR-222-3p is capable of modulating macrophage immune functions, possibly contributing to the pathogenesis during E. multilocularis infection.

MicroRNA-222-3p associated with Helicobacter pylori targets HIPK2 to promote cell proliferation, invasion, and inhibits apoptosis in gastric cancer

Gastric cancer ranks as the second leading cause of malignancy-related death worldwide, and always diagnosed at advanced stage. MicroRNA-222-3p (miR-222-3p) is aberrantly upregulated in various malignant tumors including gastric cancer, but its role and underlying molecular mechanisms in gastric cancer remain largely unknown. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection acts as a trigger in the development of gastric cancer, and increasing evidence suggests that H. pylori affects microRNA expression. In this study, gastric cancer tissue samples were divided into H. pylori positive group (+) and negative group (-). QRT-PCR showed that miR-222-3p was significantly upregulated in H. pylori (+) group compared with H. pylori (-) group, and luciferase reporter assays identified homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2 (HIPK2) as a novel target of miR-222-3p in gastric cancer. Immunohistochemistry revealed that HIPK2 levels were decreased in H. pylori (+) group compared with H. pylori (-). After that, functional experiments indicated that miR-222-3p overexpression promoted the proliferation and invasion, while inhibiting apoptosis of SGC7901 gastric cancer cells, but miR-222-3p knockdown exhibited the opposite effects. Also, HIPK2 knockdown induced similar effects as miR-222-3p overexpression in SGC7901 cells. Nude mouse experiments further suggested that HIPK2 overexpression signally attenuated the enhancing effect of miR-222-3p overexpression on cell proliferation, indicating that the effect of miR-222-3p on gastric cancer progression depends on HIPK2, at least in part. Overall, our results demonstrated that miR-222-3p/HIPK2 signal pathway regulated gastric cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion, provided a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of gastric cancer infected by H. pylori.

MicroRNA-222-3p/GNAI2/AKT axis inhibits epithelial ovarian cancer cell growth and associates with good overall survival

Ovarian carcinoma is the most lethal gynecologic tumor worldwide. Despite having developed molecular diagnostic tools and targeted therapies over the past few decades, patient survival is still quite poor. Numerous studies suggest that microRNAs are key regulators of many fundamental biological processes, including neoplasia and tumor progression. miR-222 is one of those miRNAs that has attracted much attention for its multiple roles in human diseases, especially cancer. The potential role of microRNAs in ovarian cancer has attracted much attention in recent years. Some of these microRNAs have been suggested as potential therapeutic targets for EOC patients. In this study, we sought to investigate the biologic functions of miR-222-3p in EOC carcinogenesis. Herein, we examined the expression of miR-222-3p in EOC patients, mouse models and cell lines, and found that higher expression of miR-222-3p was associated with better overall survival in EOC patients, and its level was negatively correlated with tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, in-vitro experiments indicated that miR-222-3p inhibited EOC cell proliferation and migration, and decreased the phosphorylation of AKT. We identified GNAI2 as a target of miR-222-3p. We also found that GNAI2 promoted EOC cell proliferation, and is an activator of the PI3K/AKT pathway. We describe the characterization of a novel regulatory axis in ovarian cancer cells, miR-222-3p/GNAI2/AKT and its potential application as a therapeutic target for EOC patients.

Epithelial ovarian cancer-secreted exosomal miR-222-3p induces polarization of tumor-associated macrophages

Cancer secreted exosomal miRNAs are emerging as mediators between tumor-stoma crosstalk. Here, we show epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC)-derived exosomes activated macrophages to a tumor-associated macrophage (TAM)-like phenotype with SOCS3/STAT3 pathway involvement, which could facilitate the progression of cancer. MiR-222-3p was enrichment in exosomes released from EOC cells and it could be transferred to macrophages. Overexpression of miR-222-3p in macrophages induced polarization of the M2 phenotype. Luciferase assay verified miR-222-3p targeted SOCS3 genes and expression of SOCS3 was decreased after transfection with a miR-222-3p mimic. Down-regulation of SOCS3 correlated with an increased expression of STAT3 activation. MiR-222-3p could be detected in the exosomes from serum and its levels were related to EOC. These observations propose tumor-derived exosomal miR-222-3p is an effective regulator in the polarization of tumor-promoting M2 macrophages and may be a biomarker of EOC.

Exosomes derived from gemcitabine-resistant cells transfer malignant phenotypic traits via delivery of miRNA-222-3p. Mol Cancer. 2017;16:132. [PMID: 28743280 PMCID: PMC5526308 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-017-0694-8]

BACKGROUND

Although gemcitabine-based chemotherapy has been established as a core multimodal therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment, its clinical efficacy remains limited by the development of acquired resistance following tumor metastasis and relapse. In this study, we investigated how gemcitabine-resistant (GR) cells contribute to the development of NSCLC tumor malignancy via exosome-mediated transfer of microRNAs.

METHODS

We first studied the mechanism of exosome internalization via PKH-67 staining and an immunofluorescence assay, then confirmed our finding by transmission electron microscopy and western blot analysis. Candidate miRNAs were identified through microarray analysis. Thereafter, RT-PCR, MTS, Transwell and soft agar assays were performed to assess the role of exosomic miR-222-3p in vitro. A 3' untranslated region reporter assay was applied to identify the target of miR-222-3p. A lung metastasis mouse model was constructed to evaluate tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Finally, clinical samples were used for correlation analysis between exosomic miR-222-3p levels and patients' response to gemcitabine.

RESULTS

A549-GR-derived exosomes were internalized by receipt cells via caveolin- and lipid raft-dependent endocytosis, which allowed the transfer of miR-222-3p. Exosomic miR-222-3p enhanced the proliferation, gemcitabine resistance, migration, invasion, and anti-anoikis of parental sensitive cells by directly targeting the promoter of SOCS3. In addition, a higher level of exosomic miR-222-3p in sera usually predicted worse prognosis in NSCLC patients.

CONCLUSION

Our data demonstrate that exosomic-miR-222-3p functions as a principal regulator of gemcitabine resistance and malignant characteristics by targeting SOCS3. The exosomic miR-222-3p level in sera may be a potential prognostic biomarker for predicting gemcitabine sensitivity in NSCLC patients.

Inhibition of miR-222-3p activity promoted osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs by regulating Smad5-RUNX2 signal axis

miRNAs are recently found playing important roles in osteogenesis. In this study, we identified that miR-222-3p decreased during osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) using Quantitative Real-Time Reverse Transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). Furthermore, we investigated the effect of miR-222-3p on osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs. Inhibition of miR-222-3p function in hBMSCs using infection of lentiviruses carrying miR-222-3p specific inhibitor promoted expression of osteoblast-specific genes, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and matrix mineralization. Whereas, overexpression of miR-222-3p inhibited osteoblast differentiation of hBMSCs in vitro. Moreover, Smad5 and RUNX2, which are the critical transcription factors in osteogenic differentiation, were predicted to be targets of miR-222-3p by bioinformatic analysis. Overexpression of miR-222-3p in hBMSCs significantly suppressed the protein levels of Smad5 and RUNX2, while inhibition of miR-222-3p increased their protein levels. Furthermore, inhibition of miR-222-3p increased phosphorylation of Smad1/5/8, which regulated the expression of osteogenic genes. Our findings suggest that suppression of miR-222-3p activity promoted osteogenic differentiation hBMSCs through regulating Smad5-RUNX2 signaling axis.

MicroRNA-19b/221/222 induces endothelial cell dysfunction via suppression of PGC-1α in the progression of atherosclerosis

BACKGROUND

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) is a master regulator of cellular energy metabolism that is associated with many cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis. However, the role and underling regulatory mechanisms of PGC-1α in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis are not completely understood. Here, we identified the microRNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate PGC-1α production and their roles in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A significant down-regulation of PGC-1α protein was observed in human atherosclerotic vessel samples. Using microarray and bioinformatics analyses, PGC-1α was identified as a common target gene of miR-19b-3p, miR-221-3p and miR-222-3p, which are mainly located in the intima of atherosclerotic vessels. In vitro induction of miR-19b-3p, miR-221-3p and miR-222-3p by the inflammatory cytokines TNFα and IFNγ may affect PGC-1α protein production and consequently result in mitochondrial dysfunction in Human Aortic Endothelial Cells (HAECs). The overexpression of miR-19b-3p, miR-221-3p and miR-222-3p in HAECs caused intracellular ROS accumulation, which led to cellular apoptosis.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, these results demonstrate that PGC-1α plays a protective role against the vascular complications of atherosclerosis. Moreover, the posttranscriptional regulation of PGC-1α by miR-19b/221/222 was unveiled, which provides a novel mechanism in which a panel of microRNAs can modulate endothelial cell apoptosis via the regulation mitochondrial function.