title: MicroRNA miR-191 targets the zinc finger transcription factor Egr-1 and suppresses intimal thickening after carotid injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Early growth response-1 (Egr-1) is an immediate-early gene that is rapidly and transiently induced by stimuli such as injury, hypoxia and shear stress and is implicated in a range of vascular disorders. Once activated it regulates the expression of a range of genes, instigating a healing response involved in cellular dedifferentiation, proliferation and migration. Knowledge of the mechanisms underpinning the control of Egr-1 is incompletely understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding, single-stranded RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression by mRNA degradation or translational inhibition.
  
  
  METHODS
  The effects of a double-stranded mature mimic precursor of microRNA miR-191 were evaluated on Egr-1 and intimal thickening after balloon catheter injury to carotid arteries in rats.
  
  
  RESULTS
  miR-191 (pre-191) inhibits intimal thickening compared with the precursor mimic miRNA negative control (pre-CTL) 14days after carotid artery injury. Egr-1 expression was suppressed by miR-191 compared with the pre-CTL group. Moreover miR-191 reduced Ki67 proliferation marker expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  miR-191 negatively regulates Egr-1 and controls neointima formation after vascular injury.
authors.affiliation: School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia.
authors.forename: Lucinda S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: McRobb
authors.affiliation: School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. Electronic address: L.Khachigian@unsw.edu.au.
authors.forename: Levon M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Khachigian
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D000818:Animals; D020212:Carotid Artery Injuries / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D051766:Early Growth Response Protein 1 / Q000235:genetics*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D051381:Rats; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D051766:Early Growth Response Protein 1; C486110:Egr1 protein, rat; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Egr-1; Intimal thickening; Vascular smooth muscle cells