Affiliations: Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of
Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Note: [] Corresponding author: Damjan Glavač, PhD, Department of
Molecular Genetics, Institute of Pathology, Korytkova 2, Faculty of Medicine,
University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia. Tel.: +386 1 543 7180; Fax:
+386 1 543 7181; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNA molecules, are negative
regulators of gene expression. Recent studies have indicated their role in
various forms of cardiovascular disease. In spite of the number of miRNA
microarray analyses performed, little is known about the genome-wide miRNA
expression pattern in human myocardial infarction (MI). Using miRNA microarrays and bioinformatic analysis, miRNA expression
was analyzed on human MI and foetal hearts compared to healthy adult hearts, to
determine whether there is any similar expression pattern between MI and foetal
hearts, and to identified miRNAs that have not previously been described as
dysregulated in cardiovascular diseases. Of 719 miRNAs analyzed, ∼ 50% were expressed in human hearts, 77
miRNAs were absent from all tested tissues and 57 were confidently dysregulated
in at least one tested group. Some expression patterns appeared to be similar
in MI and foetal hearts. Bioinformatic analysis revealed 10 miRNAs as
dysregulated in MI not yet related to cardiovascular disease, and 5 miRNAs
previously described only in animal models of cardiovascular diseases. Finally,
qRT-PCR analysis confirmed dysregulation of 7 miRNAs, miR-150, miR-186,
miR-210, miR-451, and muscle-specific, miR-1 and miR-133a/b; all of these are
believed to be involved in various physiological and pathological
processes.
