Long non-coding RNA LOC285194 regulates vascular smooth muscle cell apoptosis in atherosclerosis

Abstract

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) recently have been implicated in many biological processes and diseases. Atherosclerosis is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, the functional role of lncRNAs in atherosclerosis is largely unknown. Here we identified LOC285194 as a key regulator of cell proliferation and apoptosis during atherosclerosis. The expression of LOC285194 was dramatically down-regulated in a aortic atherosclerotic plaques of well-defined model of apolipoprotein-E knockout (ApoE^-/-) mice. Moreover, we found that targeting LOC285194 results in neointimal hyperplasia <i>in vivo</i> in carotid artery injury model. We also showed that targeting LOC285194 promotes cell proliferation and inhibits apoptosis in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) <i>in vitro, and vice versa</i>. In addition, targeting LOC285194 promotes cell invasion and migration in vitro. Our studies identify LOC285194 as a novel regulator of cell proliferation and apoptosis and suggest that this lncRNA could serve as a therapeutic target to treat atherosclerosis and related cardiovascular disorders.