Neonatal MicroRNA Profile Determines Endothelial Function in Offspring of Hypertensive Pregnancies

Offspring of hypertensive pregnancies are at increased risk of developing hypertension in adulthood. In the neonatal period, they display endothelial cell dysfunction and altered microvascular development. MicroRNAs, as important endothelial cellular regulators, may play a role in this early endothelial dysfunction. Therefore, we identified differential microRNA patterns in endothelial cells from offspring of hypertensive pregnancies and determined their role in postnatal vascular cell function. Studies were performed on human umbilical vein endothelial cell samples from 57 pregnancies. Unbiased RNA sequencing identified 30 endothelial related microRNAs differentially expressed in human umbilical vein endothelial cells from hypertensive compared with normotensive pregnancies. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction confirmed a significant higher expression level of the top candidate, miR-146a. Combined miR-146a–targeted gene expression and pathway analysis revealed significant alterat...