Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2013; 121(07): 425-430
DOI: 10.1055/s-0033-1345169
Article
© J. A. Barth Verlag in Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

MiR-21 is Overexpressed in Response to High Glucose and Protects Endothelial Cells from Apoptosis

J. Zeng*
1   Department of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Disease Research Institute, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China
,
Y. Xiong*
1   Department of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Disease Research Institute, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China
,
G. Li
1   Department of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Disease Research Institute, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China
,
M. Liu
1   Department of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Disease Research Institute, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China
,
T. He
1   Department of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Disease Research Institute, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China
,
Y. Tang
1   Department of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Disease Research Institute, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China
,
Y. Chen
1   Department of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Disease Research Institute, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China
,
L. Cai
1   Department of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Disease Research Institute, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China
,
R. Jiang
1   Department of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Disease Research Institute, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China
,
J. Tao
1   Department of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Disease Research Institute, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 30 January 2013
first decision 01 April 2013

accepted 24 April 2013

Publication Date:
14 June 2013 (online)

Abstract

Diabetes was an increasing public health problem nowadays. Accumulating evidences had shed a light on the involvement of endothelial cell dysfunction in the pathogenesis of diabetes-associated vascular diseases. MiR-21, a multiple-functional miRNA, was evidenced to be involved in endothelial dysfunction, however, the underlying molecular mechanisms were still unknown. In current study, we investigated the intrinsic link between miR-21 and high glucose-induced endothelial dysfunction. We demonstrated that expression of miR-21 was elevated in circulating endothelial progenitor cells from diabetes patients. Further, inhibition of miR-21 markedly enhanced high glucose-induced endothelial cytotoxicity. Furthermore, proteomic profiling was applied to analyze the downstream effectors involved in miR-21-meidated protection of endothelial cells. A total of 31 proteins were positively identified, including Annexin A2, S100A4, SOD2, Thioredoxin and DAXX. Altered expression of these proteins was validated by immunoblot. Finally, mechanistic study showed that miR-21 protected endothelial cell against high glucose-induced endothelial cytotoxicity probably by inhibiting the expression of DAXX. Our findings were considered as a significant step toward a better understanding of diabetes-associated vascular diseases.

* These authors contributed equally to this work.


Supplementary Methods

 
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