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. 2021 Sep 30;22(19):10574. doi: 10.3390/ijms221910574

Figure 7.

Figure 7

MiR-29a-3p/THBS2 axis regulates the progression of pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH). (A) Exosomal miR-29a-3p level in the serum of healthy controls (NR) and patients with PAH was determined by real-time PCR. (B) THBS2 expression in the serum was determined by ELISA. Data are expressed as median and interquartile range. Mann–Whitney U-test was used to compare two independent groups (** p < 0.01). (C) Correlation coefficient between the miR-29a-3p and THBS2 expression levels. R, Pearson’s correlation coefficient. (DF) The correlation of miR-29a-3p with the mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) in patients with PAH. (GI) The correlation of the serum THBS2 level with mPAP, TAPSE, and PVR in patients with PAH. (J) Suggested mechanism underlying PAH-induced cardiac fibrosis mediated by exosomal miR-29a-3p and THBS2. Serum miR-29a-3p and THBS2 (secreted by cardiomyocytes) might increase cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and promote cardiac fibroblast to myofibroblast transformation, enhance collagen production/deposition, and augment cardiac fibrosis.