糖尿病血管并发症微小RNA研究进展

Research advances in the role of microRNAs in diabetic vascular complications

糖尿病是由多种病因引起的以高血糖为特征的代谢异常综合征。随着病程延长,其代谢紊乱可致大血管慢性进行性病变(如心血管疾病,包括动脉粥样硬化和高血压)及微血管慢性进行性病变(如视网膜病变、肾病和神经病变),其成为了糖尿病患者致死、致残的主要原因之一。目前,造成糖尿病血管并发症发病机制仍未完全清楚,治疗方案并非全然有效,因此,深入探究糖尿病血管并发症的分子调控机制、开发新型诊治靶点是临床的迫切需要。微小RNA(microRNA, miRNA)是一类内源性小分子非编码RNA,在人体生命活动中具有广泛调节功能。研究表明,miRNA因其多种生物学功能而在糖尿病发生发展过程中扮演着重要的角色。本文综述了miRNA在糖尿病血管并发症的最新研究进展,探讨其在糖尿病血管并发症发展过程中发挥的关键调控作用及其参与的基因表达调控网络和对靶基因的精细调控机制,展望miRNA作为糖尿病血管并发症的临床诊断和治疗新靶点的广阔临床研究前景。

Diabetes is an abnormal metabolic syndrome characterized by high blood glucose and caused by various pathogenic factors. Over the course of the disease, metabolic disorders may cause chronic progressive macrovascular diseases (including cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and hypertension) and microvascular diseases (such as retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy), which have become one of the most important reasons for dia? betes-related deaths and disability. Until now, the pathogenesis of diabetic vascular complications is not completely clear, and treatment is not effective in all patients. Therefore, it is urgent to explore the molecular regulatory mecha? nism of diabetic vascular complications and develop new targets for diagnosis and treatment in clinical practice. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small non-coding RNAs and have a wide range of regulatory functions in human vital activities. Studies have shown that miRNAs have many biological functions and thus play an important role in the development and progression of diabetes. This article reviews the recent research advances in the role of miRNAs in diabetic vascular complications and discusses the important regulatory role of miRNAs in the development of diabetic vascular complications, gene expression regulatory networks involving such miRNAs, and the regulatory mechanism of miRNAs on target genes. It is pointed out that miRNAs have a promising future in clinical research as the new targets for clinical diagnosis and treatment of diabetic vascular complications.