Macrophage exosomal miR-30c-2-3p in atherosclerotic plaques aggravates microglial neuroinflammation during large-artery atherosclerotic stroke via TGF-β/SMAD2 pathway
Yue Tang, Ming‐Hao Dong, Xiao‐Wei Pang, Hang Zhang, Yun‐Hui Chu, Luo‐Qi Zhou, Sheng Yang, Luyang Zhang, Yun‐Fan You, Lifang Zhu, Wei Wang, Chuan Qin, Dai‐Shi Tian
Abstract
Circulating miR-30c-2-3p has been closely related to vascular diseases, however, its role and underlying mechanisms in ischemic stroke remained unclear. Our study addressed this gap by observing elevated levels of exosomal miR-30c-2-3p in patients with acute ischemic stroke due to large artery atherosclerosis. Further investigation revealed that these exosomal miR-30c-2-3p primarily originated from macrophages within atherosclerotic plaques, exacerbating ischemic stroke by targeting microglia. Exosomes enriched with miR-30c-2-3p increased microglial inflammatory properties in vivo and aggravated neuroinflammation by inhibiting SMAD2. In summary, our findings revealed a novel mechanism whereby macrophage-derived foam cells within atherosclerotic plaques secrete exosomes with high levels of miR-30c-2-3p, thus aggravate brain damage during ischemic stroke, which serves as crucial link between the periphery and brain.