Abstract: AIM: To investigate the effect of miR-195-5p on ox-LDL-induced vascular endothelial cell injury and its mechanism.  METHODS: The expression of miR-195-5p in HUVECs cells induced by ox-LDL was detected by RT-PCR. Cell proliferation, the expression of oxidative stress associated factors (MDA and LDH) and apoptosis were detected by CCK-8, ELISA and flow cytometry, respectively. The potential targets of miR-195-5p were determined by dual luciferase reporter assay. The expression of target protein in ox-LDL-induced HUVECs cells and the relationship between miR-195-5p and FBXW7 expression were detected by Western blotting. RESULTS: The expression of miR-195-5p in ox-LDL-induced HUVECs cells was significantly higher than that in normal HUVECs cells. Subsequently, miR-195-5p silencing in ox-LDL-induced HUVECs cells effectively promoted the proliferation of HUVECs cells, whereas suppressed the expression of oxidative stress associated factors (MDA and LDH) and apoptosis level. Luciferase reporter assay and Western blot results showed that miR-195-5p could directly target FBXW7 protein gene and negatively regulate its expression. Finally, miR-195-5p modulated the proliferation, oxidative stress and apoptosis of HUVECs cells induced by ox-LDL by regulating the expression of FBXW7. CONCLUSION: miR-195-5p is highly expressed in HUVECs cells induced by ox-LDL. In addition, miR-195-5p can aggravate ox-LDL-induced cytotoxicity, oxidative stress and apoptosis of HUVECs cells by inhibiting the expression of FBXW7.

Key words: miR-195-5p, FBXW7, oxidized low-density lipoprotein, vascular endothelial cell, oxidative stress