Long Non-Coding RNA Nuclear-Enriched Abundant Transcript 1 (NEAT1) Facilitates Foam Cell Formation and Atherosclerosis Progression Through the miR-17-5p/Itchy E3 Ubiquitin Protein Ligase (ITCH)/Liver Kinase B1 (LKB1) Axis.

BACKGROUND: Foam cell formation is an important step for atherosclerosis (AS) progression. We investigated the mechanism by which the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) nuclear-enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1) regulates foam cell formation during AS progression.Methods and Results: An in vivo AS model was created by feeding ApoE-/-mice a high-fat diet. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-stimulated macrophages were used as a cellular AS model. Interactions between NEAT1, miR-17-5p, itchy E3 ubiquitin protein ligase (ITCH) and liver kinase B1 (LKB1) were analyzed. NEAT1 and ITCH were highly expressed in clinical samples collected from 10 AS patients and in ox-LDL-treated macrophages, whereas expression of both miR-17-5p and LKB1 was low. ITCH knockdown inhibited ox-LDL-induced lipid accumulation and LDL uptake in macrophages. Mechanistically speakingly, ITCH promoted LDL uptake and lipid accumulation in macrophages by mediating LKB1 ubiquitination degradation. NEAT1 knockdown reduced LDL uptake and lipid accumulation in macrophages and AS progression in vivo. NEAT1 promoted ITCH expression in macrophages by acting as a sponge for miR-17-5p. Inhibition of miR-17-5p facilitated ox-LDL-induced increase in LDL uptake and lipid accumulation in macrophages, which was reversed by NEAT1/ITCH knockdown. CONCLUSIONS: NEAT1 accelerated foam cell formation during AS progression through the miR-17-5p/ITCH/LKB1 axis.

[Effect of rehabilitation training on insulin-resistance and hippocampus amyloid-beta peptide in rats with vascular dementia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of rehabilitation training on insulin-resistance and insulin degrading enzyme (IDE) in the hippocampus in rats with vascular dementia. METHODS: A total of 45 female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into a rehabilitation group (n=15), an immobilization group (n=15), and a sham-operation group (n=15). The rats in the former 2 groups were operated on to establish the experimental vascular dementia model by bilateral common carotid artery permanent ligation. The rats' learning and memory were assessed 4 weeks after the operation. The plasma level of insulin was determined by ELISA at different time points after the operation. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the IDE expression in the hippocampus area. RESULTS: The rats in the rehabilitation group showed significantly better learning ability than that in the immobilization group (P<0.05). The plasma level of insulin in the rehabilitation group was lower than that in the immobilization group (P<0.05), IDE expression in the rehabilitation group was higher than that in the immobilization group (P<0.05) at 7 d and 28 d after the operation. CONCLUSION: Rehabilitation can accelerate the recovery of learning and memory in rats with vascular dementia, and the mechanism is possibly related to the amelioration of insulin resistance and increase of IDE expression in the hippocampus.