Figure 1.

Schematic of the abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) aorta and vascular cells involved in the degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), endothelial cells (EC), and macrophages (Mɸ) release cytokines that elevate inflammation in AAA and promote VSMC proliferation as well as apoptosis. VSMCs, macrophages, and fibroblasts also contribute to the elevation of matrix metallopeptidases (MMPs), which lead to ECM degradation. miR-712 targets tissue inhibitor of metallopeptidase (TIMP)3 to further promote ECM degradation in AAA. Downregulation of miR-24 and miR-143 lead to increased inflammation.