Exploring Genes Regulated by circHIPK3 in Aortic Valve Interstitial Cells

Aortic valve calcific disease (CAVD) is a common heart valve condition typically characterized by severe narrowing of the aortic valve. Our previous research has shown that circHIPK3 is downregulated in calcified aortic valve tissues and plays a role in regulating the progression of CAVD. To further investigate how circHIPK3 exerts its inhibitory effects on aortic valve calcification, we overexpressed circHIPK3 in aortic valve interstitial cells and conducted RNA-seq analysis, revealing that circHIPK3 regulates key factors in the Wnt signaling pathway. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying CAVD, particularly the potential involvement of circRNAs in this disease. We separately transfected circHIPK3 overexpression plasmids and empty vectors into aortic valve interstitial cells, followed by RNA-seq analysis.