Long non-coding RNA H19 down-regulates miR-181a to facilitate endothelial angiogenic function

Abstract

H19 is the first identified long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) whose function in diverse cancers and non-cancerous disease states has been widely studied. The objective of this study was to study the functional role of H19 in vascular endothelial cells. We found that H19 overexpression significantly increased HMEC-1 cells viability, migration and tube-formation capacity. Meanwhile, H19 overexpression up-regulated the protein levels of MMP-2, MMP-9, VEGF and eNOS, and down-regulated RNA level of miR-181a. These alterations, induced by H19 overexpression were abolished by miR-181a overexpression, while they were enhanced when miR-181a was silenced. And also, overexpression of H19 activated JNK and AMPK signalling, which could be eliminated by miR-181a overexpression and accelerated by miR-181a suppression. In conclusion, overexpression of H19 improved HMEC-1 cells viability, migration and tube-formation capacity. H19 exerted pro-angiogenic effects possibly by down-regulating miR-181a, and thus activating JNK and AMPK signalling pathways.