Table 2.
Epigenetic modifications in endothelial cells in AAAs.
| Epigenetic Modification | Cellular Origin | Regulation | Target Gene(s) | Related Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Histone Modification | ||||
| BRG1 | Endothelial cell | COL1A1, COL1A2, vimentin | Promotes AAA formation upregulation of fibrotic gene expression | |
| HDAC9 | Endothelial cell | Enhances endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition | ||
| Non-coding RNAs | ||||
| miRNA-20a | Endothelial cell | Upregulated | PTEN, ATG7 | Inhibits endothelial cell apoptosis |
| miRNA-21 | Endothelial cell | Upregulated | ||
| miRNA-27a | Endothelial cell | Upregulated | SEMA6A | Promotes endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition |
| miRNA-92a | Endothelial cell | Upregulated | KLF4 | Secreted by EC, inhibits KLF4 expression in macrophages; enhances atherosclerotic lesion formation |
| miRNA-126 | Endothelial cell | Upregulated | ADAM9 | Overexpression reduces AAA formation; suppression of inflammatory cytokines |
| miRNA-221 | Endothelial cell | Upregulated | CDKN1B, PIK3R1 | Promotes angiogenesis via regulating endothelial tip-cell proliferation and migration |
| miRNA-222 | Endothelial cell | Upregulated | ADIPOR1 | Overexpression promotes AAA by interfering with endothelial progenitor cell function |
| Let-7 (miRNA) | Endothelial cell | Upregulated | ||
| GATA6-AS (lncRNA) | Endothelial cell | Upregulated? | LOXL2 | Inhibition of TGFβ2-mediated endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition |
| H19 (lncRNA) | Endothelial cell | Inhibition of endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition | ||
| MALAT-1 (lncRNA) | Endothelial cell | NOX2 | Increased inflammation and ROS production | |
| SENCR (lncRNA) | Endothelial cell | CKAP4 | Stabilizes vascular EC adherens junctions | |
AAA, abdominal aortic aneurysm; EC, endothelial cell; ROS, reactive oxygen species.