MiR-370 inhibits vascular inflammation and oxidative stress triggered by oxidized low-density lipoprotein through...

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Biology
• Molecular Medicine
• Immunology

Background:

• Atherosclerosis is a chronic cardiovascular disease driven by inflammation and oxidative stress.
• MicroRNAs, including miR-370, play critical roles in macrophage responses to these pathological processes.
• Previous research indicated miR-370 is downregulated in atherosclerosis models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the biological role of miR-370 in atherosclerosis.
• To determine the effect of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) on miR-370 expression.
• To elucidate the mechanism by which miR-370 influences inflammatory and oxidative pathways.

Main Methods:

• Investigated miR-370 expression in response to Ox-LDL in THP-1 cells.
• Assessed the impact of miR-370 overexpression on inflammatory markers (IL-6, IL-1β) and oxidative stress indicators (ROS, MDA).
• Identified Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) as a target of miR-370 using dual-luciferase reporter assays.

Main Results:

• Ox-LDL decreased miR-370 expression in THP-1 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner.
• Overexpression of miR-370 significantly inhibited IL-6, IL-1β, ROS, and MDA levels.
• TLR4 expression was upregulated by Ox-LDL and negatively correlated with miR-370 levels, confirmed by luciferase assays.

Conclusions:

• miR-370 plays a protective role in atherosclerosis by mitigating inflammation and oxidative stress.
• miR-370 exerts its effects, at least in part, by targeting TLR4 in macrophages.
• These findings highlight miR-370 as a potential therapeutic target for atherosclerosis treatment.