Cardiovascular disease-related miRNAs expression: potential role as biomarkers and effects of training exercise

// Simona Ultimo 1 , Giorgio Zauli 1 , Alberto M. Martelli 2 , Marco Vitale 3, 4 , James A. McCubrey 5 , Silvano Capitani 1 and Luca M. Neri 1 1 Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy 2 Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy 3 Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy 4 CoreLab, Azienda Ospedaliero, Universitaria di Parma, Parma, Italy 5 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA Correspondence to: Luca M. Neri, email: luca.neri@unife.it Silvano Capitani, email: silvano.capitani@Unife.it Keywords: cardiovascular diseases; sport exercise; aging; miRNAs; biomarkers Received: December 26, 2017      Accepted: January 20, 2018      Published: March 30, 2018 ABSTRACT Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are one of the most important causes of mortality worldwide, therefore the need of effective preventive strategies is imperative. Aging is associated with significant changes in both cardiovascular structure and function that lower the threshold for clinical signs and symptoms, making older people more susceptible to CVDs morbidity and mortality. microRNAs (miRNAs) modulate gene expression at post-transcriptional level and increasing evidence has shown that miRNAs are involved in cardiovascular physiology and in the pathogenesis of CVDs. Physical activity is recommended by the medical community and the cardiovascular benefits of exercise are multifactorial and include important systemic effects on skeletal muscle, the peripheral vasculature, metabolism, and neuroendocrine systems, as well as beneficial modifications within the myocardium itself. In this review we describe the role of miRNAs and their dysregulation in several types of CVDs. We provide an overview of miRNAs in CVDs and of the effects of physical activity on miRNA regulation involved in both cardiovascular pathologies and age-related cardiovascular changes and diseases. Circulating miRNAs in response to acute and chronic sport exercise appear to be modulated following training exercise, and may furthermore serve as potential biomarkers for CVDs and different age-related CVDs.