LET's sponge: How the lncRNA PFL promotes cardiac fibrosis

Current concepts in the epigenetic regulation of cardiac fibrosis

Cardiac fibrosis is a significant driver of congestive heart failure, a syndrome that continues to affect a growing patient population globally. Cardiac fibrosis results from a constellation of complex processes at the transcription, receptor, and signaling axes levels. Various mediators and signaling cascades, such as the transformation growth factor-beta pathway, have been implicated in the pathophysiology of cardiac tissue fibrosis. Our understanding of these markers and pathways has improved in recent years as more advanced technologies and assays have been developed, allowing for better delineation of the crosstalk between specific factors. There is mounting evidence suggesting that epigenetic modulation plays a pivotal role in the progression of cardiac fibrosis. Transcriptional regulation of key pro- and antifibrotic pathways can accentuate or blunt the rate and extent of fibrosis at the tissue level. Exosomes, micro-RNAs, and long noncoding RNAs all belong to factors that can impact the epigenetic signature in cardiac fibrosis. Herein, we comprehensively review the latest literature about exosomes, their contents, and cardiac fibrosis. In doing so, we highlight the specific transcriptional factors with pro- or antifibrotic properties. We also assimilate the data supporting these mediators' potential utility as diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers. Finally, we offer insight into where further work can be done to fill existing gaps to translate preclinical findings better and improve clinical outcomes.

Identification of macrophage differentiation related genes and subtypes linking atherosclerosis plaque processing and metabolic syndrome via integrated bulk and single-cell sequence analysis

Metabolic syndrome(MS) is a separate risk factor for the advancement of atherosclerosis(AS) plaque but mechanism behind this remains unclear. There may be a significant role for the immune system in this process. This study aims to identify potential diagnostic genes in MS patients at a higher risk of developing and progressing to AS. Datasets were retrevied from gene expression omnibus(GEO) database and differentially expressed genes were identified. Hub genes, immune cell dysregulation and AS subtypes were identified using a conbination of muliple bioinformatic analysis, machine learning and consensus clustering. Diagnostic value of hub genes was estimated using a nomogram and ROC analysis. Finally, enrichment analysis, competing endogenous RNA(ceRNA) network, single-cell RNA(scRNA) sequencing analysis and drug-protein interaction prediction was constructed to identify the functional roles, potential regulators and distribution for hub genes. Four hub genes and two macrophage-related subtypes were identified. Their strong diagnostic value was validated and functional process were identified. ScRNA analysis identified the macrophage differentiation regulation function of F13A1. CeRNA network and drug-protein binding modes revealed the potential therapeutic method. Four immune-correlated hub genes(F13A1, MMRN1, SLCO2A1 and ZNF521) were identified with their diagnostic value being assesed, which F13A1 was found strong correlated with macrophage differentiation and could be potential diagnostic and therapeutic marker for AS progression in MS patients.

Long non-coding RNAs in cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure: functions, mechanisms and clinical prospects

The surge in reports describing non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) has focused attention on their possible biological roles and effects on development and disease. ncRNAs have been touted as previously uncharacterized regulators of gene expression and cellular processes, possibly working to fine-tune these functions. The sheer number of ncRNAs identified has outpaced the capacity to characterize each molecule thoroughly and to reliably establish its clinical relevance; it has, nonetheless, created excitement about their potential as molecular targets for novel therapeutic approaches to treat human disease. In this Review, we focus on one category of ncRNAs - long non-coding RNAs - and their expression, functions and molecular mechanisms in cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. We further discuss the prospects for this specific class of ncRNAs as novel targets for the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions.

Therapeutic silencing of lncRNA RMST alleviates cardiac fibrosis and improves heart function after myocardial infarction in mice and swine

Rationale: Cardiac fibrosis is an adverse consequence of aberrant fibroblast activation and extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition following myocardial infarction (MI). Recently, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to participate in multiple cardiac diseases. However, the biological functions of lncRNA rhabdomyosarcoma 2-associated transcript (RMST) in cardiac fibrosis remain largely unknown. Methods: The role of RMST in regulating cardiac fibroblast (CF) proliferation, fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition (FMT), and ECM production, which were induced by transforming growth factor-β1, was evaluated through immunofluorescence staining, cell contraction assay, cell migration assay, qRT-PCR, and western blot. The therapeutic effect of RMST silencing was assessed in murine and porcine MI models. Results: The present study showed that RMST expression was upregulated and associated with cardiac fibrosis in murine and porcine MI models. Further loss-of-function studies demonstrated that RMST silencing in vitro significantly inhibited CF proliferation, FMT, and ECM production. Accordingly, RMST knockdown in vivo alleviated cardiac fibrosis and improved cardiac contractile function in MI mice. Moreover, RMST acted as a competitive endogenous RNA of miR-24-3p. miR-24-3p inhibition abolished, while miR-24-3p agomir reproduced, the RMST knockdown-mediated effects on CF fibrosis by regulating the lysyl oxidase signaling pathway. Finally, the therapeutic potential of RMST knockdown was evaluated in a porcine MI model, and local RMST knockdown significantly inhibited cardiac fibrosis and improved myocardial contractile function in pigs after MI. Conclusion: Our findings identified RMST as a crucial regulator of cardiac fibrosis, and targeting RMST may develop a novel and efficient therapeutic strategy for treating fibrosis-related cardiac diseases.

The Long Noncoding RNA LINC00963 Inhibits Corneal Fibrosis Scar Formation by Targeting miR-143-3p

Corneal fibrosis is a complication of severe corneal injury, one of the major causes of vision loss. The formation of myofibroblasts has emerged as a key stimulative factor of corneal fibrosis. In the current study, we focused on the role of LINC00963 in regulating corneal fibrosis. Transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) was used to induce human corneal stromal cells differentiating into corneal myofibroblasts, and the significant increase of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was verified by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), western blot, and immunofluorescence, respectively. LINC00963 was identified to be one-half decreased compared with nonstimulated human corneal stromal cells, indicating that it might play a role in corneal fibrosis. Interestingly, overexpression of LINC00963 resulted in decreased formation of myofibroblasts indicating that it might exhibit an inhibiting effect. Moreover, bioinformatics tool was applied to predict the downstream target of LINC00963. We investigated that LINC00963 suppressed α-SMA induced by TGF-β1 in corneal fibroblasts, at least in part, by downregulating the expression of miR-143-3p. In addition, either LINC00963 promotion or miR-143-3p inhibition could significantly decrease myofibroblast contractility and collagen I and III secretion, which are the key to contribute to corneal fibrosis. Taken together, our study identified LINC00963 as a promising therapeutic target.

Downregulation of LncRNA OIP5-AS1 Induced by IL-1β Aggravates Osteoarthritis via Regulating miR-29b-3p/PGRN

BACKGROUND

Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) OIP5 antisense RNA 1 (OIP5-AS1) is an oncogenic lncRNA; however, its role in osteoarthritis (OA) pathology still remains unknown.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

qRT-PCR was performed to measure the expressions of OIP5-AS1, miR-29b-3p and progranulin (PGRN) mRNA in OA cartilage tissues and normal cartilage tissues. Chondrocyte cell lines, CHON-001 and ATDC5, were treated with different doses of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) to induce the inflammatory response. Overexpression plasmids, microRNA mimics, microRNA inhibitors and small interfering RNAs were constructed and transfected into CHON-001 and ATDC5 cells. CCK-8 assay was used for determining the cell viability and Transwell assay was used for monitoring cell migration. Western blot was applied to measure the expressions of apoptosis-related proteins. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was adopted to measure the contents of inflammatory factors. StarBase and TargetScan were used to predict the binding sites between OIP5-AS1 and miR-29b-3p, miR-29b-3p and 3'-UTR of PGRN respectively, which were verified by dual luciferase reporter assay.

RESULTS

OIP5-AS1 and PGRN mRNA were downregulated while miR-29b-3p was upregulated in OA tissues and models. The up-regulated OIP5-AS1 facilitated the proliferation and migration of CHON-001 and ATDC5 cells, while ameliorated the apoptosis and inflammatory response. However, miR-29b-3p had opposite effects. PGRN was identified as a target gene of miR-29b-3p, which could be indirectly suppressed by OIP5-AS1 knockdown.

CONCLUSION

Downregulation of OIP5-AS1 induced by IL-1β could inhibit the proliferation and migration abilities of CHON-001 and ATDC5 cells and facilitate the apoptosis and inflammation response via regulating miR-29b-3p/PGRN axis.

Downregulation of Long Noncoding RNA LINC00261 Attenuates Myocardial Infarction through the miR-522-3p/Trinucleotide Repeat-Containing Gene 6a (TNRC6A) Axis

BACKGROUND

Myocardial infarction (MI) is cardiac tissue necrosis caused by acute and persistent ischemic hypoxia of the coronary arteries. This study is aimed at investigating the expression of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) LINC00261 in MI and its effect on myocardial cells.

METHODS

qRT-PCR was performed to detect the expression levels of LINC00261, miR-522-3p, and TNRC6A in normal and MI cells. Western blotting analysis was performed to detect the expression of TNRC6A protein. Viability and apoptosis of myocardial cells after MI with the knockout of LINC00261 or TNRC6A were detected. The relationships among miR-522-3p, LINC00261, and TNRC6A in cardiomyocytes were evaluated using a double luciferase reporter gene assay. Hypoxic preconditioning in normal cells was used to construct a simulated MI environment to investigate the effect of LINC00261 on apoptosis of cardiac cells.

RESULTS

LINC00261 and TNRC6A were upregulated, while miR-522-3p was downregulated in coronary heart disease tissues with MI. Knockout of LINC00261 can increase the viability of cardiomyocytes and inhibit cell apoptosis. LINC00261 targets miR-522-3p in cardiomyocytes. In addition, miR-522-3p targets TNRC6A in cardiomyocytes. TNRC6A regulates cell viability and apoptosis of cardiomyocytes after MI, and TNRC6A-induced MI can be reversed by overexpression of miR-522-3p.

CONCLUSIONS

LINC00261 downregulated miR-522-3p in cardiomyocytes after MI by directly targeting miR-522-3p. TNRC6A is the direct target of miR-522-3p. Our results indicated that LINC00261 might serve as a therapeutic target for the treatment of MI.

Differentially expressed genes, lncRNAs, and competing endogenous RNAs in Kawasaki disease

BACKGROUND

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute and febrile systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology. This study aimed to identify the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks of lncRNAs, miRNAs, and genes in KD and explore the molecular mechanisms underlying KD.

METHODS

GSE68004 and GSE73464 datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus. Differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) and genes (DEGs) in KD were identified using the criteria of p < 0.05 and | log2 (fold change) | ≥ 1. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) related to KD were searched from databases. The lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks involving the DElncRNAs and DEGs were constructed.

RESULTS

A total of 769 common upregulated, 406 common downregulated DEGs, and six DElncRNAs were identified in the KD samples. The lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network consisted of four miRNAs, three lncRNAs (including the upregulated PSORS1C3, LINC00999, and the downregulated SNHG5) and four DEGs (including the downregulated GATA3 and the upregulated SOD2, MAPK14, and PPARG). Validation in the GSE18606 dataset showed that intravenous immunoglobulin treatment significantly alleviated the deregulated profiles of the above RNAs in KD patients. Three ceRNA networks of LINC00999-hsa-miR-6780-SOD2, PSORS1C3-hsa-miR-216a-PPARG/MAPK14, and SNHG5-hsa-miR-132/hsa-miR-92-GATA3 were identified. Four genes were associated with functional categories, such as inflammatory response and vascular endothelial cell.

CONCLUSIONS

The ceRNA networks involve genes, such as SOD2, MAPK14, and PPARG, and lncRNAs, including PSORS1C3, LINC00999, and SNHG5, which might play a key role in the pathogenesis and development of KD by regulating inflammation.

Epigenetics-based therapeutics for myocardial fibrosis

Myocardial fibrosis (MF) is a reactive remodeling process in response to myocardial injury. It is mainly manifested by the proliferation of cardiac muscle fibroblasts and secreting extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins to replace damaged tissue. However, the excessive production and deposition of extracellular matrix, and the rising proportion of type I and type III collagen lead to pathological fibrotic remodeling, thereby facilitating the development of cardiac dysfunction and eventually causing heart failure with heightened mortality. Currently, the molecular mechanisms of MF are still not fully understood. With the development of epigenetics, it is found that epigenetics controls the transcription of pro-fibrotic genes in MF by DNA methylation, histone modification and noncoding RNAs. In this review, we summarize and discuss the research progress of the mechanisms underlying MF from the perspective of epigenetics, including the newest m6A modification and crosstalk between different epigenetics in MF. We also offer a succinct overview of promising molecules targeting epigenetic regulators, which may provide novel therapeutic strategies against MF.

Pivotal Role of TGF-β/Smad Signaling in Cardiac Fibrosis: Non-coding RNAs as Effectual Players

Unintended cardiac fibroblast proliferation in many pathophysiological heart conditions, known as cardiac fibrosis, results in pooling of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in the heart muscle. Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) as a pivotal cytokine/growth factor stimulates fibroblasts and hastens ECM production in injured tissues. The TGF-β receptor is a heterodimeric receptor complex on the plasma membrane, made up from TGF-β type I, as well as type II receptors, giving rise to Smad2 and Smad3 transcription factors phosphorylation upon canonical signaling. Phosphorylated Smad2, Smad3, and cytoplasmic Smad4 intercommunicate to transfer the signal to the nucleus, culminating in provoked gene transcription. Additionally, TGF-β receptor complex activation starts up non-canonical signaling that lead to the mitogen-stimulated protein kinase cascade activation, inducing p38, JNK1/2 (c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase 1/2), and ERK1/2 (extracellular signal–regulated kinase 1/2) signaling. TGF-β not only activates fibroblasts and stimulates them to differentiate into myofibroblasts, which produce ECM proteins, but also promotes fibroblast proliferation. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are important regulators of numerous pathways along with cellular procedures. MicroRNAs and circular long ncRNAs, combined with long ncRNAs, are capable of affecting TGF-β/Smad signaling, leading to cardiac fibrosis. More comprehensive knowledge based on these processes may bring about new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for different cardiac disorders.

The biological function and potential mechanism of long non-coding RNAs in cardiovascular disease

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), as part of the family of non-protein-coding transcripts, are implicated in the occurrence and progression of several cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). With recent advances in lncRNA research, these molecules are purported to regulate gene expression at multiple levels, thereby producing beneficial or detrimental biological effects during CVD pathogenesis. At the transcriptional level, lncRNAs affect gene expression by interacting with DNA and proteins, for example, components of chromatin-modifying complexes, or transcription factors affecting chromatin status. These potential mechanisms suggest that lncRNAs guide proteins to specific gene loci (eg promoter regions), or forestall proteins to specific genomic sites via DNA binding. Additionally, some lncRNAs are required for correct chromatin conformation, which occurs via chromatin looping in enhancer-like models. At the post-transcriptional level, lncRNAs interact with RNA molecules, mainly microRNAs (miRNAs) and mRNAs, potentially regulating CVD pathophysiological processes. Moreover, lncRNAs appear to post-transcriptionally modulate gene expression by participating in mRNA splicing, stability, degradation and translation. Thus, the purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive summary of lncRNAs implicated in CVD biological processes, with an emphasis on potential mechanisms of action.

Cardiomyocyte-derived small extracellular vesicles can signal eNOS activation in cardiac microvascular endothelial cells to protect against Ischemia/Reperfusion injury

Rationale: The crosstalk between cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (CMECs) and cardiomyocytes (CMs) has emerged as a key component in the development of, and protection against, cardiac diseases. For example, activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in CMECs, by therapeutic strategies such as ischemic preconditioning, plays a critical role in the protection against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. However, much less is known about the signals produced by CMs that are able to regulate CMEC biology. Here we uncovered one such mechanism using Tongxinluo (TXL), a traditional Chinese medicine, that alleviates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury by activating CMEC eNOS. The aim of our study is to identify the signals produced by CMs that can regulate CMEC biology during I/R. Methods: Ex vivo, in vivo, and in vitro settings of ischemia-reperfusion were used in our study, with the protective signaling pathways activated in CMECs identified using genetic inhibition (p70s6k1 siRNA, miR-145-5p mimics, etc.), chemical inhibitors (the eNOS inhibitor, L-NNA, and the small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) inhibitor, GW4869) and Western blot analyses. TritonX-100 at a dose of 0.125% was utilized to inactivate the eNOS activity in endothelium to investigate the role of CMEC-derived eNOS in TXL-induced cardioprotection. Results: We found that while CMEC-derived eNOS activity was required for the cardioprotection of TXL, activation of eNOS in CMECs by TXL did not occur directly. Instead, eNOS activation in CMECs required a crosstalk between CMs and CMECs through the uptake of CM-derived sEVs. We further demonstrate that TXL induced CM-sEVs contain increased levels of Long Intergenic Non-Protein Coding RNA, Regulator Of Reprogramming (Linc-ROR). Upon uptake into CMECs, linc-ROR downregulates its target miR-145-5p leading to activation of the eNOS pathway by facilitating the expression of p70s6k1 in these cells. The activation of CMEC-derived eNOS works to increase survival in both the CMECs and the CMs themselves. Conclusions: These data uncover a mechanism by which the crosstalk between CMs and CMECs leads to the increased survival of the heart after I/R injury and point to a new therapeutic target for the blunting of myocardial I/R injury.

lncRNA RHPN1-AS1 Promotes Ovarian Cancer Growth and Invasiveness Through Inhibiting miR-1299

Background

Ovarian cancer (OC) is a big threat for public health. However, the molecular mechanism underlying OC development and progression remains unclear. Although the importance of lncRNA in cancer has been proven, how lncRNA is involved in OC is waiting for further investigation.

Materials and Methods

qRT-PCR was performed to test expression level. CCK8 and colony formation were conducted to analyze proliferation. Transwell was conducted to measure migration and invasion. Luciferase reporter assay and pulldown assay were utilized to validate RNA interaction.

Results

lncRNA RHPN1-AS1 was highly expressed in OC tissues. RHPN1-AS1 was positively correlated with OC progression and its high expression indicated a low survival rate. Moreover, knockdown of RHPN1-AS1 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of OC cells, and bioinformatics analysis identified that miR-1299 was sponged by RHPN1-AS1 in OC cells. Knockdown of RHPN1-AS1 markedly promoted miR-1299 expression. Of note, inhibition of miR-1299 reversed the roles of RHPN1-AS1 silencing on suppressing proliferation, migration and invasion.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates that RHPN1-AS1 promotes OC progression via sponging miR-1299, suggesting RHPN1-AS1 may be a novel therapeutic target.

LncRNA XIST promotes myocardial infarction by regulating FOS through targeting miR-101a-3p

The purpose of this study was to reveal the hypothesis that lncRNA X inactive specific transcript (XIST) can participate in the regulation of cardiomyocyte apoptosis in neonatal mice cardiomyocytes (NMCMs) and myocardial infarction (MI) through targeting miR-101a-3p. NMCMs were isolated from neonatal C57BL/6 mice and anoxia was induced in hypoxic chamber. MTT assay and flow cytometry were used to determine proliferation and apoptosis respectively. The target relationship among XIST, miR-101a-3p and FOS was revealed by bioinformatic analysis, luciferase reporter assay, pull-down assay and RNA immunoprecipitation assay. The expression of XIST, miR-101a-3p, FOS and apoptosis-related proteins was determined by qRT-PCR or western blot. MI model was constructed to reveal the role of XIST. We found that XIST was up-regulated in NMCMs under anoxia condition. Moreover, XIST increased FOS expression by sponging miR-101a-3p in anoxia cells. Silencing XIST expression improved cell viability and suppressed apoptosis in vitro and inhibited myocardial infarction by reducing the level of c-FOS and apoptosis-related proteins in vivo. Our findings suggest that XIST is involved in MI, modulation of its level can be used as a new strategy or potential target in the treatment of myocardial infarction.

The hepatocyte-specifically expressed lnc-HSER alleviates hepatic fibrosis by inhibiting hepatocyte apoptosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Liver fibrosis leading to cirrhosis is one of the major health burdens worldwide with currently limited therapeutic options available. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in various biological and pathological processes in a cell- or tissue-specific manner. However, there is still an important gap in the understanding of the role of hepatocyte-specific lncRNAs in liver fibrosis. Methods: The expressions of lnc-Hser in human and mice fibrotic livers as well as primary hepatocytes (HCs) of mice developing liver fibrosis were determined by real-time RT-PCR. The roles and mechanisms of lnc-Hser in HCs and liver fibrosis were determined in vitro and in vivo. Results: In this study, we have identified a hepatocyte-specifically expressed lnc-Hser, which was reduced in human and mice fibrotic livers as well as primary HCs of mice developing liver fibrosis. We have shown that silencing lnc-Hser aggravated liver fibrosis both in vitro and in vivo through inducing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the apoptosis of HCs. In addition, knockdown of lnc-Hser promoted hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation through the signals derived from injured HCs. Mechanistically, we have revealed that lnc-Hser inhibited HCs apoptosis via the C5AR1-Hippo-YAP pathway and suppressed HCs EMT via the Notch signaling. Conclusions: Our work has identified a hepatocyte-specific lnc-HSER that regulates liver fibrosis, providing a proof that this molecule is a novel biomarker for damaged HCs and a potential target for anti-fibrotic therapy.

Long non-coding RNA FLJ33360 participates in ovarian cancer progression by sponging miR-30b-3p

Background

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to play a key role in the development and progression of human malignancies. FLJ33360 is an lncRNA with unknown functions. This study was designed to determine the clinical significance and mechanism of FLJ33360 in ovarian cancer.

Materials and methods

The clinical significance of FLJ33360 in ovarian cancer was determined using the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) database, Kaplan-Meier Plotter database, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and statistical analysis. The regulatory relationships between FLJ33360 and miR-30b-3p were explored through bioinformatics, the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, the ArrayExpress database and meta-analysis. The possible pathways were predicted using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. In addition, the key target genes were identified using a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and correlation analysis.

Results

FLJ33360 expression was significantly downregulated in ovarian cancer tissue (P=0.0011) and was closely associated with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage (P=0.027) and recurrence (P=0.002). FLJ33360 may have potential value in detecting ovarian cancer (area under the curve =0.793). Function analysis demonstrated that FLJ33360 can act as a molecular sponge of miR-30b-3p to regulate the expression of target genes that are mainly involved in positive regulation of smooth muscle cell migration, the unsaturated fatty acid metabolic process, and positive regulation of the epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Among these target genes, BCL2 is the hub gene.

Conclusion

FLJ33360 is a potential biomarker for early diagnosis and prognostic assessment in ovarian cancer and may regulate the expression of genes by sponging miR-30b-3p and thus participate in the development of ovarian cancer.

Long noncoding RNA homeobox A11 antisense promotes transforming growth factor β1‑induced fibrogenesis in cardiac fibroblasts

Cardiac fibrosis is closely associated with various heart diseases and is an important pathological feature of cardiac remodeling. However, detailed mechanisms underlying cardiac fibrosis remain largely unknown. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are reported to serve significant roles in the development of cardiac fibrosis. The present study aimed to identify the role of a novel lncRNA, homeobox A11 antisense (HOXA11‑AS), in cardiac fibrosis. Overexpression of HOXA11‑AS in mouse cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) increased the expression of transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) and its downstream molecules, while knockdown of HOXA11‑AS inhibited the TGFβ1 signaling pathway. Furthermore, as determined by colony formation and MTT assays, HOXA11‑AS overexpression promoted colony formation and viability in mouse CFs, while HOXA11‑AS knockdown had the opposite effect. In addition, overexpression of HOXA11‑AS increased cell migration and invasion in the Transwell assays, whereas expression knockdown decreased the metastatic ability of cells. In order to explore the detailed mechanism, co‑transfection of HOXA11‑AS expression plasmid and siTGFβ1 into CFs resulted in increased cell proliferative rate and cell metastasis through the TGFβ1 signaling pathway. Taken together, the present study suggested that the lncRNA HOXA11‑AS may be a potential therapeutic target against cardiac fibrosis, and provided a novel insight into the diagnosis and treatment of clinical cardiac fibrosis.