MiR-30b Is Involved in the Homocysteine-Induced Apoptosis in Human Coronary Artery Endothelial Cells by Regulating the Expression of Caspase 3

Homocysteine (Hcy) is an independent risk factor for a variety of cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke, etc. There is a close relationship between the vascular endothelial cell apoptosis and these diseases. Recent studies have shown homocysteine can induce apoptosis in endothelial cells, which may be an important mechanism for the development of theses cardiovascular diseases. Although there are several reports about how the Hcy induces apoptosis in endothelial cells, the exact mechanism is not fully understood. MicroRNAs are small, non-coding RNA. Previous studies have shown that there is a close relationship between several microRNAs and cell apoptosis. However, there are no studies about the role of microRNAs in Hcy-induced apoptosis in endothelial cells so far. In this study, we constructed the model of homocysteine-induced apoptosis in human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs) and found miR-30b was significantly down-regulated by 1 mmol/L Hcy. In addition, overexpression of miR-30b can improve the Hcy-induced apoptosis in HCAECs by downregulating caspase-3 expression. Therefore, miR-30b may play an important role in Hcy-induced apoptosis in endothelial cells.