Up-regulated miR-106b inhibits ox-LDL-induced endothelial cell apoptosis in atherosclerosis

Molecular mechanisms of PTEN in atherosclerosis: A comprehensive review

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the arterial wall caused by an imbalance of lipid metabolism and a maladaptive inflammatory response. A variety of harmful cellular changes associated with atherosclerosis include endothelial dysfunction, the migration of circulating inflammatory cells to the arterial wall, the production of proinflammatory cytokines, lipid buildup in the intima, local inflammatory responses in blood vessels, atherosclerosis-associated apoptosis, and autophagy. PTEN inhibits the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (PKB/AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway through its lipid phosphatase activity. Previous studies have shown that PTEN is closely related to atherosclerosis. This article reviews the role of PTEN in atherosclerosis from the perspectives of autophagy, apoptosis, inflammation, proliferation, and angiogenesis.

The prognostic potential of long noncoding RNA XIST in cardiovascular diseases: a review

There is a significant mortality rate associated with cardiovascular disease despite advances in treatment. long Non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a critical role in many biological processes and their dysregulation is associated with a wide range of diseases in which their downstream pathways are disrupted. A lncRNA X-inactive specific transcript (XIST) is well known as a factor that regulates the physiological process of chromosome dosage compensation for females. According to recent studies, lncRNA XIST is involved in a variety of cellular processes, including apoptosis, proliferation, invasion, metastasis, oxidative stress and inflammation, through molecular networks with microRNAs and their downstream targets in neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases. Because these cellular processes play a role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases, we aim to investigate the role that lncRNA XIST plays in this process. Additionally, we wish to determine whether it is a prognostic factor or a potential therapeutic target in these diseases.

Linc00657 promoted pyroptosis in THP-1-derived macrophages and exacerbated atherosclerosis via the miR-106b-5p/TXNIP/NLRP3 axis

Long intergenic non-coding RNA 00657 (linc00657) is involved in various diseases, whereas its role in atherosclerosis (AS) development remains inconclusive. This study was designed to investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of linc00657 in atherogenesis. The results showed that ox-LDL treatment significantly induced pyroptosis in human THP-1-derived macrophages. The secretion levels of LDH and pro-inflammatory factors were markedly enhanced, and the integrity of plasma membranes was disrupted in ox-LDL-treated THP-1-derived macrophages. These effects were significantly compensated after transfection with linc00657 siRNA and became more evident by linc00657 overexpression. Moreover, the effects of linc00657 overexpression on pyroptosis of THP-1-derived macrophages can also be robustly reversed by TXNIP knockdown or miR-106b-5p mimics transfection. Mechanistically, linc00657 enhanced TXNIP expression by competitively binding to miR-106b-5p, promoting NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Finally, we found that linc00657 overexpression significantly increased the expression of pyroptosis-related factors and decreased miR-106b-5p level in the aorta of high-fat-diet-fed apoE-/- mice. Furthermore, linc00657 up-regulation enlarged the plaque area, exacerbated plasma lipid profile, and increased pro-inflammatory cytokines levels in the serum, effects that were reversed by injection of miR-106b-5p agomir. This evidence indicated that linc00657 stimulated macrophage pyroptosis and aggravated the progression of AS via the miR-106b-5p/TXNIP/NLRP3 pathway.

Noncoding RNAs: Versatile regulators of endothelial dysfunction

Noncoding RNAs have recently emerged as versatile regulators of endothelial dysfunction in atherosclerosis, a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by the formation of plaques within the arterial walls. Through their ability to modulate gene expression, noncoding RNAs, including microRNAs, long noncoding RNAs, and circular RNAs, play crucial roles in various cellular processes involved in endothelial dysfunction (ECD), such as inflammation, pyroptosis, migration, proliferation, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and angiogenesis. This review provides an overview of the current understanding of the regulatory roles of noncoding RNAs in endothelial dysfunction during atherosclerosis. It highlights the specific noncoding RNAs that have been implicated in the pathogenesis of ECD, their target genes, and the mechanisms by which they contribute to ECD. Furthermore, we have reviewed the current therapeutics in atherosclerosis and explore their interaction with noncoding RNAs. Understanding the intricate regulatory network of noncoding RNAs in ECD may open up new opportunities for the development of novel therapeutic strategies to combat ECD.

CircCHMP5 Contributes to Ox-LDL-induced Endothelial Cell Injury Through the Regulation of MiR-532-5p/ROCK2 axis

BACKGROUND

Aberrant expression of circular RNA (circRNA) has been demonstrated to be related to atherosclerosis (AS) formation. However, the mechanism of circCHMP5 (also known as hsa_circ_0003575) in AS formation remains unclear.

METHODS

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) was used to treat human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to construct a cell injury model. The expression level of circCHMP5, miR-532-5p, and Rho-associated protein kinase 2 (ROCK2) was measured using quantitative real-time PCR. Cell cycle, apoptosis, proliferation, and angiogenesis were determined by flow cytometry, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay, and tube formation assay. In addition, the protein expression of apoptosis markers, inflammation factors, and ROCK2 was detected by western blot analysis. The interaction between miR-532-5p and circCHMP5 or ROCK2 was assessed by dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay.

RESULTS

Our results indicated that circCHMP5 was overexpressed in ox-LDL-induced HUVECs. CircCHMP5 knockdown promoted cell cycle, proliferation, and angiogenesis while inhibiting apoptosis and inflammation in ox-LDL-induced HUVECs. MiR-532-5p could be sponged by circCHMP5, and its inhibitor reversed the negative regulation of si-circCHMP5 on ox-LDL-induced HUVECs injury. ROCK2, a target of miR-532-5p, reversed the inhibition effect of miR-532-5p on ox-LDL-induced HUVECs injury. Furthermore, we confirmed that circCHMP5 upregulated ROCK2 by sponging miR-532-5p.

CONCLUSION

To sum up, our data showed that circCHMP5 regulated the miR-532-5p/ROCK2 axis to accelerate ox-LDL-induced HUVECs injury, confirming that circCHMP5 might be a potential target for AS treatment.

CDKN2B-AS1 as a novel therapeutic target in cancer: Mechanism and clinical perspective

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) have been identified as essential components having considerable modulatory impactson biological activities through altering gene transcription, epigenetic changes, and protein translation. Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2B antisense RNA 1 (CDKN2B-AS1), a recently discovered lncRNA, was shown to be substantially elevated in various cancers.Furthermore, via modulation ofvarious signalingaxes, it is effectively connected to the control of critical cancer-associatedbiological pathways likecell proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT), invasion, and migration. Considering the crucial functions ofCDKN2B-AS1in cancer onset and development, this lncRNA offers immense therapeutic implications for usage as a new diagnostic or treatment approach. In this article, we evaluate the most recent discoveries made into the functions of the lncRNA CDKN2B-AS1 in cancer, in addition to its prospect asbeneficial properties,prognostic anddiagnostic biomarkersin the cancer-related treatment, emphasizingits participation in a broad network of signalingaxes whichcould affectvariouscancers and investigating its promising therapeutic possibility.

Extracellular vesicle-mediated transfer of lncRNA CLDN10-AS1 aggravates low-density lipoprotein-induced vascular endothelial injury

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) stimulation impairs the oxidation-reduction equilibrium in vascular endothelial cells (VECs) and contributes to atherosclerosis (AS). This study probed the mechanisms of extracellular vesicle (EV)-mediated transfer of lncRNA CLDN10 antisense RNA 1 (CLDN10-AS1) in ox-LDL-induced VEC injury. Initially, VEC injury models were established by treating human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with ox-LDL. EVs were isolated from HUVECs (HUVECs-EVs) and identified. CLDN10-AS1, microRNA (miR)-186, and Yin Yang 1 (YY1) expressions in ox-LDL-treated HUVECs and EVs derived from these cells (ox-EVs) were measured. HUVECs were incubated with EVs, after which the cell viability, apoptosis, and concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress markers were measured. We discovered that CLDN10-AS1 and YY1 were upregulated in ox-LDL-treated HUVECs, whereas miR-186 was downregulated. ox-EVs treatment elevated CLDN10-AS1 expression in HUVECs and ox-EVs overexpressing CLDN10-AS1 promoted VEC injury. Besides, CLDN10-AS1 is competitively bound to miR-186 and promoted YY1 expression. Rescue experiments revealed that miR-186 overexpression or YY1 suppression partially reversed the roles of ox-EVs overexpressing CLDN10-AS1 in ox-LDL-induced VEC injury. Lastly, clinical serum samples were collected for verification. Overall, CLDN10-AS1 carried by HUVECs-EVs into HUVECs competitively bound to miR-186 to elevate YY1 expression, thereby aggravating ox-LDL-induced VEC injury.

Resveratrol protects against ox-LDL-induced endothelial dysfunction in atherosclerosis via depending on circ_0091822/miR-106b-5p-mediated upregulation of TLR4

BACKGROUND

Atherosclerosis (AS) is the most common inducer of cardiovascular diseases, and resveratrol (RSV) has played a protective function in the endothelial injury of AS. This study was to explore the molecular mechanism of RSV in oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-mediated endothelial dysfunction.

METHODS

Circ_0091822, microRNA-106b-5p (miR-106b-5p) or toll-like receptor (TLR4) levels were examined using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay. Cell viability was detected via Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and angiogenesis was assessed by tube formation assay. Cell apoptosis was determined through flow cytometry. The protein analysis was conducted via western blot. Inflammatory cytokines were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The oxidative injury was evaluated using the commercial kits. The binding detection was performed via dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA pull-down assay.

RESULTS

Circ_0091822 was downregulated by RSV in ox-LDL-treated endothelial cells. RSV promoted cell viability and angiogenesis while inhibiting apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress after exposure to ox-LDL. The circ_0091822 knockdown relieved the ox-LDL-induced cell damages. RSV suppressed the ox-LDL-caused endothelial dysfunction via inducing the downregulation of circ_0091822. Circ_0091822 could target miR-106b-5p, and the reversal of circ_0091822 for RSV function was achieved by sponging miR-106b-5p. Circ_0091822 absorbed miR-106b-5p to elevate the level of TLR4. RSV impeded ox-LDL-induced damages by regulating miR-106b-5p/TLR4 axis.

CONCLUSION

All these findings suggested that RSV acted as an inhibitory factor in ox-LDL-induced endothelial injury via downregulating circ_0091822 to upregulate miR-106b-5p-related TLR4.

Circ_0093887 regulated ox-LDL induced human aortic endothelial cells viability, apoptosis, and inflammation through modulating miR-758-3p/BAMBI axis in atherosclerosis

BACKGROUND: Compelling evidence demonstrated that circular RNAs (circRNAs) were involved in the progression of atherosclerosis (AS). However, the role of circ_0093887 in the progression of AS is unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore the role and mechanism of circ_0093887 in oxidized-low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs). METHODS: HAECs were stimulated by ox-LDL to simulate AS-like injury in vitro. Circ_0093887, microRNA-758-3p (miR-758-3p), and BMP And Activin Membrane-Bound Inhibitor (BAMBI) levels were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). PCNA, Bax, Bcl-2, and BAMBI protein levels were detected by western blot. Cell viability and apoptosis were examined by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and flow cytometry. Tube formation assay was used to assess tube formation. The levels of inflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-1β were detected by corresponding ELISA kits. The relationship between miR-758-3p and circ_0093887 or BAMBI was tested via dual-luciferase reporter analysis and RNA immunoprecipitation. Oxidative stress related indexes (ROS and MDA) were detected by corresponding kits. RESULTS: The expression levels of circ_0093887 and BAMBI were prominently downregulated in ox-LDL-induced HAECs compared with control, whereas the expression of miR-758-3p was upregulated. Overexpression of circ_0093887 promoted HAECs viability and tube formation, and restrained cell apoptosis in ox-LDL-induced HAECs compared with untreated HAECs. Mechanistically, circ_0093887 regulated the expression of BAMBI through miR-758-3p. Further experiments showed that upregulation of miR-758-3p reversed changes in cell function induced by circ_0093887. In addition, reduced BAMBI salvaged miR-758-3p knockdown mediated effects on cell function. CONCLUSION: Circ_0093887 demonstrated its diagnostic and therapeutic value in AS by promoting the role of the miR-758-3p/BAMBI axis in the ox-LDL-induced endothelial injury of HAECs.

MicroRNA-216a-5p in lipopolysaccharide-induced endothelial injury

MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) are a type of non-coding RNA that are closely associated with disease development and treatment. The present study aimed to investigate the role of miR-216a-5p in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced endothelial injury in vitro. The EdU assay was performed to detect EdU-positive cells, while flow cytometric analysis was performed to detect apoptotic cells. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blot analyses were performed to detect the expression levels of miR-216a-5p, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), MyD88 and nuclear factor (NF)-κB(p65) and phosphorylated (p)-NF-κB(p65). Furthermore, p-NF-κB(p65) nuclear expression level was detected via cellular immunofluorescence. The dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to verify the association between miR-216a-5p and TLR4. The results demonstrated that the number of EdU-positive cells significantly decreased, the apoptotic rate significantly increased, and TLR4, MyD88 and NF-κB(p65) mRNA expression levels were significantly upregulated.TLR4, MyD88 and p-NF-κB(p65) protein expression levels were significantly upregulated and p-NF-κB(p65) nuclear concentration was significantly enhanced in the small interfering RNA-miR-216a-5p and LPS groups (P<0.001, respectively) compared with the negative control group. However, the addition of miR-216a-5p significantly increased the number of EdU-positive cells, significantly decreased the apoptotic rate and significantly downregulated the mRNA expression levels of TLR4, MyD88 and NF-κB(p65), as well as the protein expression levels of TLR4, MyD88 and p-NF-κB(p65). In addition, the p-NF-κB(p65) nuclear concentration was significantly decreased in the miR-216a-5p group (P<0.001, respectively) compared with the LPS group. Taken together, the results suggest that overexpression of miR-216a-5p suppresses the effects of LPS induced endothelial injury.

Endothelial Dysfunction in Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Diseases and Beyond: From Mechanism to Pharmacotherapies

The endothelium, a cellular monolayer lining the blood vessel wall, plays a critical role in maintaining multiorgan health and homeostasis. Endothelial functions in health include dynamic maintenance of vascular tone, angiogenesis, hemostasis, and the provision of an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antithrombotic interface. Dysfunction of the vascular endothelium presents with impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation, heightened oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, leukocyte adhesion and hyperpermeability, and endothelial cell senescence. Recent studies have implicated altered endothelial cell metabolism and endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition as new features of endothelial dysfunction. Endothelial dysfunction is regarded as a hallmark of many diverse human panvascular diseases, including atherosclerosis, hypertension, and diabetes. Endothelial dysfunction has also been implicated in severe coronavirus disease 2019. Many clinically used pharmacotherapies, ranging from traditional lipid-lowering drugs, antihypertensive drugs, and antidiabetic drugs to proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors and interleukin 1β monoclonal antibodies, counter endothelial dysfunction as part of their clinical benefits. The regulation of endothelial dysfunction by noncoding RNAs has provided novel insights into these newly described regulators of endothelial dysfunction, thus yielding potential new therapeutic approaches. Altogether, a better understanding of the versatile (dys)functions of endothelial cells will not only deepen our comprehension of human diseases but also accelerate effective therapeutic drug discovery. In this review, we provide a timely overview of the multiple layers of endothelial function, describe the consequences and mechanisms of endothelial dysfunction, and identify pathways to effective targeted therapies. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The endothelium was initially considered to be a semipermeable biomechanical barrier and gatekeeper of vascular health. In recent decades, a deepened understanding of the biological functions of the endothelium has led to its recognition as a ubiquitous tissue regulating vascular tone, cell behavior, innate immunity, cell-cell interactions, and cell metabolism in the vessel wall. Endothelial dysfunction is the hallmark of cardiovascular, metabolic, and emerging infectious diseases. Pharmacotherapies targeting endothelial dysfunction have potential for treatment of cardiovascular and many other diseases.

Sequencing Analysis of mRNA Profile in Endothelial Cells in Response to ox-LDL

The pathogenesis of atherosclerosis (AS) and abnormal endothelial cells apoptosis is a multifactorial biological process. Oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) is a critical factor in the formation of AS. However, the exact mechanism is still not clear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate some genes and biological pathways in endothelial cells apoptosis in response to ox-LDL. First, our results has validated that ox-LDL is an effective inducer of endothelial cells apoptosis, then, transcriptome sequencing was used to detect differential expression genes. In total, 71 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, including 32 upregulated genes and 39 downregulated genes. GO analysis showed that DEGs were mainly enriched in cytokine-mediated signaling pathway, gene expression, external side of plasma membrane, steroid binding, and signaling receptor binding. After KEGG analysis, the DEGs mainly focused on the following biochemical signaling pathways, including Signaling molecules and interaction (such as ICOSLG, IL6, ITGAM, TNFRSF13C and VTCN1), Signal transduction (such as IL13RA2, IL6, ITGAM, PDE5A, SGK3 and TNFRSF13C), Immune system (such as FCGR2A, ICOSLG, IL6, ITGAM and TNFRSF13C), and so on. These genes may play a dominant role in HAECs apoptosis and AS genesis. The above prediction and analysis provide an important basis for our follow-up study of the mechanism of these genes, which might be used as molecular targets or diagnostic biomarkers for AS.

Constructing a ceRNA-immunoregulatory network associated with the development and prognosis of human atherosclerosis through weighted gene co-expression network analysis

There is now overwhelming experimental and clinical evidence that atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease. The recent discovery of a new group of mediators known as competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) offers a unique opportunity for investigating immunoregulation in AS. In this study, we used gene expression profiles from GEO database to construct a lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network during AS plaque development through weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). GO annotation and pathway enrichment analysis suggested that the ceRNA network was mainly involved in the immune response. CIBERSORT and GSVA were used to calculate the immune cell infiltration score and identified macrophage as hub immunocyte in plaque development. A macrophage related ceRNA subnetwork was constructed through correlation analysis. Samples from Biobank of Karolinska Endarterectomy (BiKE) were used to identify prognostic factors from the subnetwork and yielded 7 hub factors that can predict ischemic events including macrophage GSVA score and expression value of AL138756.1, CTSB, MAFB, LYN, GRK3, and BID. A nomogram based on the key factors was established. GSEA identified that the PD1 signaling pathway was negatively associated with these prognostic factors which may explain the cardiovascular side effect of immune checkpoint therapy in anti-tumor treatment.