Transcriptomics of angiotensin II-induced long noncoding and coding RNAs in endothelial cells

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Biology
• Molecular Biology
• Genomics

Background:

• Endothelial dysfunction induced by Angiotensin II (Ang II) is a key factor in cardiovascular diseases.
• Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are increasingly recognized for their role in cardiovascular pathobiology.
• The impact of Ang II on lncRNA and coding RNA expression in endothelial cells remains largely uncharacterized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the expression profiles of lncRNAs and coding RNAs in human endothelial cells upon Ang II treatment.
• To identify novel differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs in response to Ang II.
• To explore the potential roles of these altered RNAs in Ang II-induced endothelial dysfunction.

Main Methods:

• Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured and exposed to Ang II.
• Global expression profiling of lncRNAs and mRNAs was performed using microarray technology.
• Bioinformatic analysis was employed to identify differentially expressed genes and their functional pathways.

Main Results:

• Ang II treatment significantly altered the expression of numerous lncRNAs and mRNAs in HUVECs.
• Specific lncRNAs, such as RP11-354P11.2 (upregulated) and RP11-360F5.1 (downregulated), were identified.
• Functional enrichment analysis indicated involvement in pathways like nucleotide excision repair and ECM-receptor interaction.

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first comprehensive profile of Ang II-induced lncRNA and mRNA changes in human endothelial cells.
• The identified differentially expressed RNAs represent potential novel targets for understanding and treating Ang II-related endothelial dysfunction.
• These findings significantly expand the repertoire of candidate genes implicated in cardiovascular diseases.