The expression and clinical significance of miRNA-183 in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury patients with cerebral small vessel disease

Exosomal miR-320e as a Novel Potential Biomarker for Cerebral Small Vessel Disease

Background

Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) with an insidious onset can cause overall neurological dysfunction and dementia, bringing a massive burden to society. However, the pathogenesis of CSVD is complex and reliable non-invasive biomarkers for diagnosis are still not available at present. Our study aimed to investigate abnormal exosomal miRNA patterns via microarray analysis and identify candidate biomarkers for CSVD.

Methods

We isolated exosomes from the plasma of all subjects and identified exosomes via currently universally accepted methods. The miRNAs were profiled through microarrays, and then the expression of selected differentially expressed miRNAs was validated through RT-PCR. GO and KEGG analysis predicted possible functions of differentially expressed miRNAs. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was employed to observe the diagnostic value of selective miRNAs. Finally, the relationship between the expression of miR-320e and the CSVD burden was analyzed.

Results

A total of 14 miRNAs displayed differential enrichment levels with |fold change|≥1.5 and p<0.05 through miRNA microarray analysis. The RT-PCR analysis validated that exosomal miR-320e was significantly downregulated in CSVD patients (p<0.0001). ROC curve analysis of exosomal miR-320e showed the area under the curve of 0.752. According to the multivariable analysis, miR-320e was an independent predictor of white matter hyperintensity ([aOR]= 0.452, 95% confidence interval [CI]= 0.258-0.792, p=0.006) and exhibited a negative correlation with the load of periventricular white matter hyperintensities (p=0.0021) and deep white matter hyperintensities (p=0.0018), respectively. In addition, it exhibited a negative correlation with total CSVD burden score (r=-0.276, p=0.001).

Conclusion

In our study, plasma exosomal miR-320e has a certain diagnostic value for CSVD, and a significant correlation with imaging burden of CSVD. Overall, exosomal miR-320e has the potential to be a novel biomarker for CSVD, but further research with a large sample size is necessary to assess its clinical utility.

Exosomal miRNA-223-3p as potential biomarkers in patients with cerebral small vessel disease cognitive impairment

BACKGROUND

Cerebrovascular disease is a common clinical illness. Many patients with cerebrovascular disease can be accompanied by cognitive impairment. The exosomal microRNA (miRNA)-223-3p is related to vascular endothelial injury, synaptic function, inflammatory response, and other mechanisms. In this study, we investigated the levels of plasma exosomal miRNA-223-3p in patients with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), in order to determine whether it could be used as a more accessible potential biomarker for the early diagnosis and treatment of CSVD. This study aimed to explore whether the development of cognitive impairment can be explained by differentially expressed miRNA-223-3p by detecting the level of miRNA-223-3p, which is abundant in peripheral blood exosomes related to cognitive impairment in CSVD.

METHODS

The three groups of participants included 40 patients with CSVD cognitive impairment (CSVDCI), 38 patients with CSVD, and 35 normal controls (NC). The real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect the expression level of blood exosomal miRNA-223-3p. In addition, we also studied the relationship between exosomal miRNA-223-3p and blood Hcy and C-reactive protein (CRP). Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of plasma exosomal miRNA-223-3p.

RESULTS

The expression of exosomal miRNA-223-3p in CSVD increased, and the expression of miRNA-223-3p increased significantly with the occurrence of cognitive impairment. Exosomal miRNA-223-3p was positively correlated with the expression levels of Hcy and CRP in the blood.

CONCLUSIONS

The expression of plasma exosomal miRNA-223-3p is associated with the development of cognitive impairment in patients with CSVD. It may be involved in the pathogenesis of CSVD and cognitive impairment, and can be used as a sensitive predictive biomarker.

Dysregulation of miR-374a is involved in the progression of diabetic retinopathy and regulates the proliferation and migration of retinal microvascular endothelial cells

Clinical relevance: microRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to be involved in the progression of various diseases.Background: This study evaluated the expression and clinical value of miR-374a in diabetic retinopathy (DR) patients and analysed the effects of miR-374a on the progression of DR.Methods: Subjects were divided into four groups: healthy control, type 2 diabetes mellitus without DR (NDR), proliferation DR (PDR) and non-proliferation DR (NPDR). Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was detected in the serum miR-374a levels of the subjects. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of miR-374a in DR patients. Pearson correlation was used to analyse the correlation between miRNA and clinical indicators of patients. High glucose (HG) in treatment of human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs). The effects of miR-374a on cell proliferation and migration induced by HG were detected.Results: Serum miR-374a was progressively accelerated in patients with NDR, NPDR and PDR than in healthy controls. Moreover, miR-374a can significantly distinguish between NDR and DR patients. Among DR patients, miR-374a can differentiate PDR patients from NPDR patients. Serum miR-374a was positively correlated with diabetes duration, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), and homoeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in DR patients. HG-induced proliferation and migration of HRMECs was inhibited by reduction of miR-374a.Conclusion: Dysregulation of miR-374a is involved in the progression of DR and serves a regulatory role in retinal, which can be used as a promising diagnostic biomarker for DR.

MicroRNA-26b-5p alleviates cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats via inhibiting the N-myc/PTEN axis by downregulating KLF10 expression

MicroRNAs plays important role in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (CIR). However, the role of miR-26b-5p in CIR injury remains unclear. PC12 cells were treated with oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) for 0 h, 2 h, 4 h, 6 h, and then reoxygenated for 24 h to construct an in vitro I/R model. Then, miR-26b-5p mimic, small interfering RNA of KLF10 and KLF10 overexpression plasmid were transfected into cells respectively for mechanism study. Our results showed that miR-26b-5p was downregulated in OGD/R-induced PC12 cells. After overexpression of miR-26b-5p, cell proliferation ability was enhanced, apoptosis, ROS and inflammatory mediators were inhibited. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that miR-26b-5p was directly bound to the 3' UTR of KLF10, and downregulated the expression of KLF10. KLF10 was upregulated in OGD/R cells, and transfection with si-KLF10 promoted cell proliferation and reduced apoptosis, NO concentration and inflammatory factor secretion. Moreover, pcDNA-KLF10 reversed the inhibitory effects of miR-26b-5p mimic on apoptosis, NO content and inflammatory factor secretion, as well as the downregulation of N-myc and PTEN expression. Meanwhile, I/R rat models were constructed and divided into sham operation group (femoral artery isolation only), model group (middle cerebral artery occlusion model of rats was prepared by thread embolization), treatment group (200 µL of miR-26b-5p mimic was injected into the brain of model rats). We observed that the infarct size of brain tissue was reduced, KLF10 expression was downregulated, and apoptosis and inflammatory response were reduced. These results suggest that miR-26b-5p had protective effects on CIRI and it may be a potential treatment target.