MicroRNA-33-3p Regulates Vein Endothelial Cell Apoptosis in Selenium-Deficient Broilers by Targeting E4F1

Selenium (Se) is a type of nutrient element. The tissues of organisms can have pathological damage, including apoptosis, due to Se deficiency. Apoptosis is an important cell process and plays a key role in vascular disease and Se-deficient symptoms. In this study, the Se-deficient broiler model was duplicated, miR-33-3p in the vein was overexpressed in response to Se-deficiency, and miR-33-3p target gene E4F transcription factor 1 (E4F1) expression was also confirmed. We utilized ectopic miR-33-3p expression to validate its function for apoptosis. The results showed that miR-33-3p-targeted E4F1 are involved in the glucose-regulated protein 78- (GRP78-) induced endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) apoptosis pathway. We presumed that Se deficiency might trigger apoptosis via downregulating miR-33-3p. Interestingly, the miR-33-3p inhibitor and VER-155008 (GRP78 inhibitor) partly hindered the apoptosis caused by Se deficiency. Thus, the above information provides a new avenue toward understanding the mechanism of Se deficiency and reveals a novel apoptotic injury regulation model in vascular disease.