Overexpression of miR-22-3p and miR-29c-3p in CFU-Hill colonies is related to senescence process among children with low birth weight

Paula R P Souza; Fernanda Thomazini; Livia V Souza; Carla L Freitas; Maria do Carmo Franco

doi:10.1038/s41390-024-03128-0

Overexpression of miR-22-3p and miR-29c-3p in CFU-Hill colonies is related to senescence process among children with low birth weight

Pediatr Res. 2024 Mar 18. doi: 10.1038/s41390-024-03128-0. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Paula R P Souza^{1

2}, Fernanda Thomazini^{1

2}, Livia V Souza³, Carla L Freitas³, Maria do Carmo Franco⁴

Affiliations

¹ Physiology Department, School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
² Post-Graduate Program in Translational Medicine, Medicine Department, School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
³ Nephrology Division, Medicine Department, School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
⁴ Physiology Department, School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. maria.franco@unifesp.br.

PMID: 38499628
DOI: 10.1038/s41390-024-03128-0

Abstract

Background: The current study mainly focused on provide further insights into the association of the miR-22-3p and miR-29c-3p expression in CFU-Hill colonies with birth weight and senescence process in children.

Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated 61 children (32 boys, 29 girls). The CFU-Hill colonies number was evaluated in vitro by cell culture technique and senescence was detected by β-galactosidase (SA-β-Gal) assay. Expression of miR-22-3p and miR-29c-3p isolated from CFU-Hill colonies were detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Results: Birth weight was correlated with both CFU-Hill colonies and %SA-β-Gal positive staining. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that the senescence was a predictor of the lower CFU-Hill colonies number, while only the birth weight was a predictor of senescence of CFU-Hill colonies. Overexpression of miR-22-3p and miR-29c-3p was observed in CFU-Hill colonies isolated from children with low birth weight (LBW). Interestingly, we found a significant correlation between %SA-β-Gal cells staining positive for both miR-22-3p and miR-29c-3p.

Conclusion: The LBW is associated with decreased CFU-Hill colonies number and high senescence of these cells. The overexpression of miR-22-3p and miR-29c-3p may be partially responsible for this alteration due to regulation of several pathways related to the senescence process.

Impact: The study establishes a significant correlation between birth weight and the number of CFU-Hill colonies, suggesting that birth weight could be a predictive biomarker for vascular health in children. Data indicates that cellular senescence is a predictor of reduced CFU-Hill colony numbers. This suggests that the aging process of these cells could be an important factor in understanding the vascular health issues in children with low birth weight. The overexpression of miR-22-3p and miR-29c-3p in children with low birth weight and their correlation with increased cellular senescence highlight these microRNAs as possible molecular mechanisms influencing the aging of CFU-Hill colonies.