STUDY ON MIR-210 PROMOTES LOCAL ANGIOGENESIS AFTER HYDRONEPHROSIS IN MICE BY REGULATING HIF-VEGF SIGNALING PATHWAY

Xiaojing Yang^{1, 2, 3, #}, Jun Zhao^{4, 5, #}, Yunhui Liao^{6, *} 

¹Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, No. 55 Zhenhai Road, Xiamen 361003, China - ²Pediatric Key Laboratory of Xiamen, No. 55 Zhenhai Road, Xiamen 361003, China - ³Institute of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, No. 55 Zhenhai Road, Xiamen 361003, China - ⁴Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, No. 55 Zhenhai Road, Xiamen 361003, China - ⁵Xiamen Key Laboratory of Genetic Testing, No. 55 Zhenhai Road, Xiamen 361003, China - ⁶Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xiamen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, No. 1739 Xianyue Road, Xiamen 361009, China

Objective: To analyze the ability of micro-ribonucleic acid-210 (miR-210) to promote local angiogenesis by regulating the hypoxia-inducible factor-vascular endothelial growth factor (HIF-VEGF) signaling pathway after hydronephrosis in mice. 

Methods: 36 healthy male BALB/c mice were randomly placed into either the sham operation group or the hydronephrosis 2d, 7d, or 14d groups. Each group contained 9 mice. The histopathological changes in the kidneys were observed using a microscope. The levels of HIF-1α expression in mice from each group were determined by Western blotting. The levels of expression of miR-210, HIF-1α, and VEGF in mice from each group were determined by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. All mice were sacrificed following completion of the experiment. 

Results: The mice in the control group exhibited normal kidney structure, even staining, and no infiltration of lymphocytes or plasma cells. The renal interstitia of mice in the hydronephrosis groups showed edema, infiltration of lymphocytes and plasma cells, dilation of the renal tubules, and swelling of the renal tubular epithelial cells. With the prolongation of hydronephrosis, the renal cortices became significantly thinner, and the volumes of hydronephrosis became significantly larger. The expression levels of miR-210, VEGF protein, and VEGF mRNA were significantly higher in the hydronephrosis 2d group than in the sham operation group. With the prolongation of hydronephrosis, the expression levels of miR-210, VEGF protein, and VEGF mRNA lessened significantly, while the expression levels of HIF-1αprotein and HIF-1αmRNA increased significantly (p<0.05). 

Conclusion: miR-210 may promote local angiogenesis by regulating the HIF-VEGF signaling pathway following hydronephrosis in mice.