TABLE 2.
Highlighted miRNAs mediate homeostasis of the vascular wall.
| MiRNAs | Expression | Target | Function | Inverse (negative) regulated by | References |
| Healthy ECs | |||||
| miR-155 | ↓(Down) | Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) | Endothelium, vascular relaxation | Inflammatory factor (TNF-α) (↑ miR-155) | Ballantyne et al., 2019; Chen et al., 2019 |
| miR-126 | ↑(Up) | Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) | Angiogenesis | Sprouty-related EVH1 domain 1 (SPRED-1) (↓ miR-126) | Alique et al., 2019; Ballantyne et al., 2019 |
| Physiological VSMC phenotype | |||||
| miR-21 | ↑(Up) | Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) expression | SMC proliferation and survival (anti-apoptotic) | Programmed cell death protein 4 (PDCD4) | Maegdefessel et al., 2015; Ballantyne et al., 2019 |
| miR-143/145 cluster | ↑(Up) | Transcription factors such as Kruppel-like factor (KLF)-4, (miR-145), KLF5, and ELK-1 | VSMCs contractility and proliferation | Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), KLF-4, myocardin | Maegdefessel et al., 2013; Maegdefessel et al., 2015; Metzinger-Le Meuth et al., 2017; Ballantyne et al., 2019; Vacante et al., 2019 |