High-throughput sequencing of endogenous small RNAs from rat vascular smooth muscle cells with and without Angiotensin II stimulation

Angiotensin II (Ang II)-mediated vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) dysfunction plays a critical role in cardiovascular diseases. However, the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in this process is unclear. We used small RNA deep sequencing to profile Ang II-regulated miRNAs in rat VSMC and evaluated their role in VSMC dysfunction. Sequencing results revealed several Ang II-responsive miRNAs and bioinformatics analysis showed that their predicted targets can modulate biological processes relevant to cardiovascular diseases.