Airway remodeling is one of the most important pathological features of chronic asthma. This study aimed to determine whether microRNA-221 (hereafter, miR-221) can affect airway remodeling in a mouse model of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced chronic asthma.
Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) “Bearing miR-221 sponges” were used to downregulate miR-221 in asthmatic mice. Staining with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), Masson trichrome, and periodic acid–Schiff reagent was used to assess histological changes. The affected signaling pathway in mouse airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) was also identified by gene chip technology. A PI3K/AKT-inhibitor (LY294002) was used to confirm the role of the pathway in ASMCs.
The inhibition of miR-221 in a murine asthma model was found to reduce airway hyper-responsiveness, mucus metaplasia, airway inflammation, and airway remodeling (
miR-221 might play a crucial role in the mechanism of remodeling via the PI3K/AKT pathway in chronic asthma and it could be considered as a potential target for developing therapeutic strategies.