Abstract
BACKGROUND: Diabetes is associated with the dysfunction of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), characterized as impaired angiogenesis, a phenomenon thought to be involved in the development of diabetic foot. lncRNA plays an essential role in microvascular dysfunction and signaling pathways in patients with diabetes. lncRNA taurine upregulated gene 1 (TUG1) participates in angiogenesis in various cells. However, the mechanisms of TUG1 activity in EPCs have not been elucidated. METHODS: We isolated and then characterized EPCs from the peripheral blood of mice using immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Western blot detected the wnt/β-catenin pathway in high glucose-treated EPCs. Bioinformatics analysis predicted a putative binding site for TUG1 on miR-29c-3p. The interactions among TUG1, platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB), and miR-29c-3p were analyzed by luciferase assays. In vivo, diabetic mouse ischemic limb was treated with normal saline or TUG1 overexpression lentiviruses. RESULTS: We found that EPC migration, invasion, and tube formation declined after treatment with high glucose, but improved with TUG1 overexpression. Mechanically, wnt/β-catenin pathway and autophagy were involved in the function of TUG1 overexpression in high glucose-treated EPCs. Moreover, TUG1 regulates the PDGF-BB/wnt pathway and function of high glucose-treated EPCs via miR-29c-3p. In vivo, injection of TUG1 lentivirus in a diabetic mouse ischemic limb model stimulated angiogenesis. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that TUG1 restores high glucose-treated EPC function by regulating miR-29c-3p/PDGF-BB/Wnt signaling.