- Shang, Fenqing;
- Wang, Shen-Chih;
- Hsu, Chien-Yi;
- Miao, Yifei;
- Martin, Marcy;
- Yin, Yanjun;
- Wu, Chih-Cheng;
- Wang, Yun-Ting;
- Wu, Gaihong;
- Chien, Shu;
- Huang, Hsien-Da;
- Tarng, Der-Cherng;
- Shiu, Yan-Ting;
- Cheung, Alfred K;
- Huang, Po-Hsun;
- Chen, Zhen;
- Shyy, John Y-J
CKD is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). The accumulation of uremic toxins in CKD induces oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction. MicroRNA-92a (miR-92a) is induced by oxidative stress in endothelial cells (ECs) and involved in angiogenesis and atherosclerosis. We investigated a role for oxidative stress-responsive miR-92a in CKD. Our study of patients at three clinical sites showed increased serum miR-92a level with decreased kidney function. In cultured ECs, human CKD serum or uremic toxins (such as indoxyl sulfate), compared with non-CKD serum, induced the levels of miR-92a and suppressed the expression of miR-92a targets, including key endothelial-protective molecules. The antioxidant N-acetylcysteine inhibited these vasculopathic properties. In rats, adenine-induced CKD associated with increased levels of miR-92a in aortas, serum, and CD144+ endothelial microparticles. Furthermore, CD144+ microparticles from human uremic serum contained more miR-92a than those from control serum. Additional analysis showed a positive correlation between serum levels of miR-92a and indoxyl sulfate in a cohort of patients with ESRD undergoing hemodialysis. Collectively, our findings suggest that the uremic toxins accumulated in CKD can upregulate miR-92a in ECs, which impairs EC function and predisposes patients to CVD.