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Harnessing the Power of MicroRNA Cargoes in Small Extracellular Vesicles Released from Fresh-Frozen Human Brain Sections
Published on: November 8, 2024
Alterations of Cerebral Extracellular Vesicle microRNA Profiling Potentially Disrupts Brain Homeostasis Following
Md Monowarul Islam1, Shouyi Liang2, Lijun Sun1
1Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
Biomolecules
|June 26, 2026
Summary
Heart failure (HF) can cause cognitive impairment (CI). Myocardial infarction alters brain extracellular vesicle (EV) microRNAs, potentially worsening CI by increasing neuroinflammation and oxidative stress via cardiac EVs.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cardiology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Cognitive impairment (CI) is common in heart failure (HF) patients.
- Oxidative stress and neuroinflammation are key mechanisms underlying CI in HF.
- Extracellular vesicles (EVs) mediate biological signaling and transport microRNAs (miRNAs).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if myocardial injury alters brain EV miRNA profiles.
- To determine if altered brain EV miRNAs contribute to CI by disrupting brain homeostasis.
- To explore the role of cardiac EVs in HF-associated CI.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a rodent myocardial infarction (MI) model.
- Isolated and characterized brain EVs using small RNA sequencing.
- Performed bioinformatic analysis of miRNA profiles.
Main Results:
- Brain EV miRNA profiles changed significantly with HF progression (3, 32, and 65 miRNAs altered at 3, 6, and 12 weeks post-MI, respectively).
- Downregulation of protective miRNAs against oxidative stress and inflammation observed at 6 and 12 weeks.
- Upregulation of miRNAs promoting oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, potentially of cardiac origin.
Conclusions:
- Myocardial injury alters brain EV miRNA profiles, correlating with HF progression.
- Altered miRNAs in brain EVs may contribute to CI by disrupting brain homeostasis.
- Cardiac EVs may play a role in HF-associated CI by influencing brain EV miRNA content.
