The presence of AF was associated with significant (<i>p</i> < 0.05) up-regulation of the expression level of miR-1-3p, miR-21-5p, miR-29a-3p, miR-208b-3p, and miR-590-5p.
Decreased circulating miRNA-21 is associated with AF, but not with AF subtypes, suggestive that molecular mechanisms responsible for the onset and progression of the AF may be different.
These changes in AF susceptibility were associated with a decrease in circulating microRNA-21 and microRNA-29 during the first 2 months of exercise with partial normalization at 3 months in both transgenic and WT animals.
Treatment with tolvaptan attenuated CIH-induced atrial fibrosis, reduced AF inducibility, expression levels of miR-21 and its downstream factors were also improved.