MicroRNA-141 inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation through targeting PAPP-A.

It is well known that ox-LDL plays key roles in the development of atherosclerosis, partly by inducing vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) proliferation. Recent findings have revealed that microRNAs, a class of small noncoding RNAs, could regulate cell proliferation in many physiological and pathological conditions. However, the role and function of miRNAs on ox-LDL induced VSMC proliferation are not fully elucidated. In this study, we showed that ox-LDL could suppress miR-141 expression and inhibition of miR-141 could promote VSMCs proliferation. Moreover, we found that PAPPA was the direct target gene of miR-141. Overexpression of PAPPA impaired the miR-141-induced inhibition of proliferation in the VSMCs. Taken together; miR-141 may play important roles in ox-LDL-induced abnormal proliferation of the VSMC.