Diverging targets mediate the pathological roleof miR-199a-5p and miR-199a-3p by promoting cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis

MicroRNA-199a-5p (miR-199a-5p) and -3p are enriched in the myocardium, but it is unknown whether miR-199a-5p and -3p are co-expressed in cardiac remodeling and what roles they have in cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. We show that miR-199a-5p and -3p are co-upregulated in the mouse and human myocardium with cardiac remodeling and in Ang-II-treated neonatal mouse ventricular cardiomyocytes (NMVCs) and cardiac fibroblasts (CFs). miR-199a-5p and -3p could aggravate cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in vivo and in vitro. PPAR gamma coactivator 1 alpha (Ppargc1a) and sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) were identified as target genes to mediate miR-199a-5p in promoting both cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. However, miR-199a-3p aggravated cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis through targeting RB transcriptional corepressor 1 (Rb1) and Smad1, respectively. Serum response factor and nuclear factor κB p65 participated in the upregulation of miR-199a-5p and -3p in Ang-II-treated NMVCs and mouse CFs, and could be conversely elevated by miR-199a-5p and -3p. Together, Ppargc1a and Sirt1, Rb1 and Smad1 mediated the pathological effect of miR-199a-5p and -3p by promoting cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis, respectively. This study suggests a possible new strategy for cardiac remodeling therapy by inhibiting miR-199a-5p and -3p.