Both monocytes (MCs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) express apelin and APJ, which play important roles in the physiological processes of atherosclerosis.
Therefore, our studies provide important new insight into the inhibition of lipid accumulation and pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion by apelin-13, and highlight apelin-13 as a promising therapeutic target in atherosclerosis.
The apelin/apelin receptor pathway is also implicated in atherosclerosis, hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure, diabetes and obesity, making it a promising therapeutic target.
In conclusion, miR-497 contributes to oxLDL-induced lipid deposition in macrophages largely via targeting of apelin and thus represents a potential therapeutic target for atherosclerosis.