miR-487b promotes human umbilical vein endothelial cell proliferation, migration, invasion and tube formation through regulating THBS1.

Angiogenesis is essential for recovery from various neurovascular diseases, such as ischemic stroke. Previous studies have revealed the regulatory role of MicroRNAs in angiogenesis in various types of cancer cells. However, the role of miR-487b in angiogenesis and how it regulates the angiogenic process of endothelial cells remain unclear. In this study, we found miR-487b was up-regulated in the plasma of ischemic stroke patients. Further, over-expression of miR-487b enhanced cell proliferation, migration, invasion and tube formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Using bioinformatic analysis, we found a putative binding site of miR-487b in the 3' untranslated regions of Thrombospondin 1 mRNA, an endogenous inhibitor of angiogenesis. This direct binding was confirmed by luciferase assay. These results demonstrate that miR-487b regulates angiogenesis by directly targeting THBS1 in HUVECs, indicating that miR-487b may contribute to angiogenesis and the functional recovery from ischemic stroke. miR-487b could represent a potential therapeutic option for neurovascular disease.