Human and animal studies show that suboptimal intrauterine environments lead to fetal programming, predisposing offspring to disease in later life. Maternal obesity has been shown to program offspring for cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, and obesity. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNA molecules that act as key regulators of numerous cellular processes. Compelling evidence links miRNAs to the control of cardiac development and etiology of cardiac pathology; however, little is known about their role in the fetal cardiac response to maternal obesity. Our aim was to sequence and profile the cardiac miRNAs that are dysregulated in the hearts of baboon fetuses born to high fat/high fructose-diet (HFD) fed mothers for comparison with fetal hearts from mothers eating a regular diet. Eighty miRNAs were differentially expressed. Of those, 55 miRNAs were upregulated and 25 downregulated with HFD. Twenty-two miRNAs were mapped to human; 14 of these miRNAs were previously reported to be dysregulated in experimental or human CVD. We used an Ingenuity Pathway Analysis to integrate miRNA profiling and bioinformatics predictions to determine miRNA-regulated processes and genes potentially involved in fetal programming. We found a correlation between miRNA expression and putative gene targets involved in developmental disorders and CVD. Cellular death, growth, and proliferation were the most affected cellular functions in response to maternal obesity. Thus, the current study reveals significant alterations in cardiac miRNA expression in the fetus of obese baboons. The epigenetic modifications caused by adverse prenatal environment may represent one of the mechanisms underlying fetal programming of CVD.

Letrozole is a potent aromatase inhibitor and superior to other defined selective estrogen receptor modulators such as tamoxifen in treating hormone-responsive postmenopausal breast cancer patients. Patients who receive this drug may become insensitive to the effects of estrogen deprivation induced by letrozole. Letrozole has known side effects on bone metabolism due to systemic ablation of estrogen production. The purpose of this study was to examine the therapeutic efficacy of hyaluronic acid-bound letrozole nanoparticles (HA-Letr-NPs) in restoring sensitivity to letrozole-resistant (LTLT-Ca) cells. To target letrozole to LTLT-Ca cells, hyaluronic acid-bound letrozole nanoparticles were prepared by nanoprecipitation using biodegradable PLGA-PEG co-polymer. Binding specificity of HA to CD44 on the cell surface was analyzed in vitro using FITC-CD44 Ab and CD44 siRNA by flow cytometry. Effects on in vitro cytotoxicity and aromatase enzymatic activity of HA-Letr-NPs were performed in MCF-7 breast cancer cells, MCF-7 cells over-expressing aromatase (MCF-7/Aro), and LTLT-Ca cells resistant to letrozole. Preclinical efficacy of HA-Letr-NPs was examined in mice using LTLT-Ca xenograft tumors. HA-Letr-NPs were restricted to a maximum size of 100 nm. The in vitro drug release assay showed that the highest released concentration of letrozole occurred after 23 hours at 37 degrees C in phosphate-buffered saline. HA-Letr-NPs on MCF-7/Aro and LTLT-Ca cells showed an IC50 of 2 microM and 5 microM, respectively. HA-Letr-NPs were more efficacious in inhibiting tumor growth, reducing in vitro cellular and in vivo tumor aromatase enzyme activity more than the corresponding Letr-NPs or letrozole. HA-Letr-NPs restored and maintained a prolonged sensitivity and targeted delivery of letrozole in letrozole-resistant tumors in vivo.