MiR-92a regulates viability and angiogenesis of endothelial cells under oxidative stress

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was used to induce oxidative stress in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Pre-miR-92a treatment decreased H2O2-induced apoptosis of HUVEC as determined by TUNEL assay. Pre-miR-92a treatment enhanced capillary tube formation by HUVEC under oxidative stress, which was blocked by LY294002, an inhibitor of Akt phosphorylation. Interestingly, we also observed that inhibition of miR-92a by anti-miR-92a antisense can also enhance angiogenesis in HUVEC with and without oxidative stress exposure. Our results show that perturbation of miR-92a levels outside of its narrow “homeostatic” range may trigger endothelial cell angiogenesis, suggesting that the role of miR-92a in regulating angiogenesis is controversial and may vary depending on the experimental model and method of regulating miR-92a.