MicroRNA expression in ProtheraCytes
AMI, FIBROSIS
To investigate the proangiogenic activity of ProtheraCytes derived exosomes (CD34Exo) from AMI patients, we first isolated exosomes and characterized them by flow cytometry. We then isolated RNA from CD34Exo and determined the expression levels of miRNAs that have been reported to be key positive regulators of the angiogenesis processes. We assessed the expression levels of miR-126, miR-130a, miR-21, miR-378, and miR-26aProtheraCytes derived exosomes contain proangiogenic, anti-apoptotic, anti-fibrosis and cardiac miRNAs. (These results indicate that ProtheraCytes are able to secrete exosomes containing proangiogenic miRNAs which might lead to the induction of angiogenesis and contribute to the vascular repair process after AMI. Interestingly, in addition to their involvement in angiogenesis, miR-21 and miR-26a have been also reported to inhibit myocardial cell apoptosis after AMIWe also investigated whether ProtheraCytes derived exosomes secrete miRNAs that promote myocardial regeneration, and evaluated the levels of miR-199a and miR-590, which have been described as playing an essential role in cardiac regeneration after myocardial infarctionFinally, we further examined the expression of miR-133a, miR-24, miR-29b and miR-132, known to have anti-fibrotic activity and been implicated in cardiac fibrosis