Abstract P231: Inhibition of Mir-762 Prevents and Reverses Ang II Induced Aortic Stiffening

Abstract

We and others have shown that hypertension (HTN) is linked with striking fibrosis in the aortic adventitia. This leads to aortic stiffening, leading to organ damage. Through a screen of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the aorta, we found that miR-762 is the most upregulated miRNA in Ang II hypertensive mice. qRT-PCR confirmed that miR-762 is upregulated 6.35±1.22 (p=0.03) fold in Ang II-infused mice compared to controls. To study the role of miR-762 in HTN, we administered a locked nucleic acid inhibitor of miR-762. MiR-762 inhibition normalized stress-strain relationships and aortic systolic energy storage (ASE) (Table). Moreover, miR-762 inhibition in the last 2 weeks of Ang II infusion reversed aortic stiffness in mice treated with 4 wk of Ang II (ASE, 4 wk Ang II [51±5.18 kPa] vs 4wk Ang II + LNA-762 (last 2 wk) [20±1.76 kPa], p<0.0001). Further studies showed that miR-762 inhibition reduced mRNA for several collagens and fibronectin and upregulated collagenases MMP1a, 8 and 13 (Table). Lastly, we found that miR-762 inhibition during Ang II infusion led to a 9.11±1.92 (p=0.007) fold increase in Sprouty1 mRNA, suggesting that miR-762 targets Sprouty1 mRNA. Sprouty1 inhibits the activation of p38-MAPK which is critical in the process of aortic stiffening. Hence, miR-762 modulates aortic stiffening and fibrosis through a Sprouty1-p38-MAPK mechanism. Thus, miR-762 has a major role in modulating aortic stiffening and its inhibition dramatically inhibits pathological fibrosis, enhances matrix degradation, prevents and reverses aortic stiffness. miR-762 inhibition might represent a new approach to prevent aortic stiffening and its consequent end-organ damage.