Abstract 17248: The role of microRNA-21 in regulating the coronary microcirculation in diabetes
Creator
Juguilon C; Wang Z; Gadd J;Ohanyan VA; Anurag J; Molly E; Wang T; Kolz C; William MC; Yin L
Publisher
Circulation
Date
2020
2020-11-17
Description
Introduction: Coronary microvascular dysfunction is prevalent among diabetics and intersects with deficits in endothelial-dependent vasodilation. These deficits occur early in the progression of the disease, but the mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Nitric oxide (NO) is the major endothelial-dependent mediator of vasodilation in the healthy coronary circulation, but the mediator switches to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. Diabetes is a risk factor for CAD, so we hypothesized that a similar switch would occur.Methods: Coronary arteries were isolated and endothelial-dependent vasodilation was assessed using myography. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was performed for gene expression analysis and myocardial blood flow (MBF) was measured by contrast echocardiography.Results: Nitric oxide synthase inhibitor (L-NAME) inhibited vasodilation in wild type (WT) mice, but the H2O2 scavenger (PEG-catalase) had no effect. In contrast, vasodilation in diabetic mice was blunted by PEG-catalase, but not L-NAME. This suggests that the mediator of coronary vasodilation switched from NO to H2O2 in diabetes. Importantly, we found that microRNA-21 (miR-21) is upregulated in diabetes and the deficiency modulates the mediator switch from NO to H2O2 in diabetic mice.Conclusions: The switch in the mediator of coronary vasodilation from NO to H2O2 contributes to microvascular dysfunction in diabetes and miR-21 regulates this switch. Further genetic profiling will elucidate the pathways and mechanisms converging with miR-21 to regulate microvascular function in diabetes. This is the first mouse model that recapitulates the switch in mediator of coronary vasodilation from NO to H2O2 seen in CAD patients.