Introduction: Dyslipidemia is a key contributing factor in the onset and progression of cardiovascular diseases, particularly atherosclerosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a pivotal role in the epigenetic regulation of both metabolic and inflammatory pathways. The present study aimed to predict miRNAs that regulate the expression of genes involved in plasma lipid metabolism, with a particular emphasis on LPIN1—a gene well-established in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.
Methods: Using the MIRTARBASE and TargetScan databases, candidate miRNAs regulating LPIN1 gene expression were predicted. Subsequently, a reverse analysis was performed using the same databases to predict other genes regulated by the predicted miRNAs. To find the genes potentially involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis among the predicted target genes, annotations from the UniProt database were utilized. Finally, a network of miRNAs/target genes was constructed to visualize the relationships between the predicted miRNAs and their predicted target genes.
Results: The outcomes of bioinformatics analysis revealed that the LPIN1 gene acts as a central hub within the gene network associated with atherosclerosis. Conserved microRNAs, including mir-122-5p and mir-506-3p, demonstrated notable interactions with LPIN1, indicating their potential role in regulating lipid metabolism and inflammatory pathways. Additionally, a group of poorly conserved microRNAs, including mir-17-5p, mir-4294, mir-4309, mir-3198, and mir-1289, were found to interact with a range of genes involved in atherosclerosis progression, including LDLRAP1, APOA1, ABCG8, LDLR, PCSK9, ANGPTL3, ABCG5, and LPIN1.
Conclusion: Analysis of the interaction network led to the identification of potential regulatory pathways mediated by miRNAs, which may enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the disease. These findings could serve as a foundation for future clinical investigations and the development of miRNA-based therapeutic strategies.