The microRNA miR-223 was recently shown to be involved in cardiovascular diseases including atherosclerosis, vascular calcification and arterial thrombosis.
Furthermore, testing the direct effect of miR-223 and IGF-1R on late EPCs disclosed that these molecular factors improve late EPC functional properties in atherosclerosis in terms of stimulation of the proliferation and migration abilities.
Then, as a topic of discussion, we mainly concentrate on the following crucial miRNAs (miR-155, miR-27a/b, miR-342-5p, miR-21, miR-124, and miR-223) by virtue of their multiple roles in regulating the progression of atherosclerosis involved with systemic and local inflammatory activities in cerebral arteries.
<b>Results:</b><i>In vivo</i> experiments confirmed that paeonol restricted atherosclerosis development and increased miR-223 expression, inhibited STAT3 pathway in ApoE<sup>-/-</sup> mice.
A consistent trend was found between an increasing number of manifestations of atherosclerosis (peripheral arterial disease in specific), and lower levels of miR-18a-5p, miR-27a-3p, miR-199a-3p, miR-223-3p and miR-652-3p (all P < 0.05).
We have shown, in murine models, that miR-126, miR-143, miR-145, and miR-223 levels and the levels of their specific targets are modulated during the crucial stages of CKD and atherosclerosis.
Within this chapter, the most prominent microRNAs involved in lipid metabolism, e.g., miR-27a/b, miR-33/33*, miR-122, miR-144, or miR-223, and their intracellular and extracellular functions will be extensively discussed, in particular focusing on their mechanistic role in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis.