Vascular smooth muscle cell-derived exosomal microRNAs regulate endothelial cell migration under PDGF stimulation

Abstract

Intercellular communication between vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and endothelial cells (ECs) is essential for the maintenance of vascular homeostasis. The presence of exosomes, a recently discovered player in vascular cell communication, has been associated with vascular disease progression. However, the detailed mechanism of how the signal mediated by exosomes affects the function of vascular cells during vascular pathogenesis is yet to be further understood. In this study, we investigated the expression of exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) secreted by VSMCs and their functional relevance to ECs in pathogenesis, including their role in processes such as platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) stimulation. We observed that PDGF stimulation contributes to a change in exosomal miRNA release from VSMCs; specifically, miR-1246, miR-182, and miR-486 were deficient in exosomes derived from PDGF-stimulated VSMCs. The reduced miRNA expression in these exosomes is associated with an increase in EC migration. These findings increase our understanding of exosome-mediated crosstalk between vascular cells under a pathological condition.