The changes of miRNAs in plasma small extracellular vesicles (sEV) isolated from 8-week diabetic rats compared with control animals

Compared with plasma sEV (Con-sEV) from control rats, plasma sEV (DM-sEV) from 8-week diabetic rats significantly induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis as evidenced by increased percentage of apoptotic cells and activity of pro-apoptotic protein caspase 3. The proapoptotic effect of DM-sEV was blunted by RNase but not proteinase K, suggesting that DM-sEV exerted the cardiotoxic effects mainly through their contained RNAs. Increasing evidence suggests that miRNAs are the most important molecules by which sEV regulate recipient cell function. To identify the sEV-containing specific miRNAs responsible for the effects, Con-sEV and DM-sEV were subjected to miRNA sequencing.