Integrated analysis of changed microRNA expression in crotonaldehyde-exposed human endothelial cells

Crotonaldehyde (CRA), a reactive α,β-unsaturated aldehyde, is produced by natural and synthetic processes such as incomplete combustion of many compounds and can be found in cigarette smoke. CRA induces the formation of DNA adducts and suppresses the expression of glutathione, resulting in endothelial dysfunction, inflammation and vascular diseases. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNAs that negatively modulate gene expression by targeting mRNAs for translational repression or degradation. They are also important factors involved in cell growth, apoptosis, and proliferation in cardiovascular disease. In this study, to examine the effect of CRA on the expression profiles of miRNAs in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), we performed pair-wise correlation analyses and identified 162 miRNAs with altered expression upon treatment of HUVECs with 10 μM CRA. In addition, we discovered a significant anti-correlation between 55 miRNAs and 11 mRNA. Differentially expressed miRNAs were further validated by Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis. Our results suggest that modified expression of miRNAs caused by CRA treatment is related to endothelial dysfunction and might contribute to further understanding the molecular mechanisms of vascular diseases.