Neat1 alleviates ischemic injury in skeletal muscles

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) has historically been regarded as an age-related vascular disorder; however, recent attention has shifted toward the myopathic components of the disease. Conventional interventions, such as revascularization, have had limited success in reversing muscle pathology or preventing adverse outcomes like amputation. Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are key regulators of cellular responses to ischemia, including the promotion of angiogenesis and glycolysis. While pharmacological stabilization of HIF proteins represents a promising therapeutic strategy, its efficacy is diminished in aged muscles due to their intrinsically low basal HIF expression.

We hypothesized that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) might enhance the hypoxic response in aged muscle through post-transcriptional regulation of HIF expression. Our study identified a long noncoding RNA Neat1, as a critical mediator of the hypoxia-induced stress response, including upregulation of Hif1α. In a murine hindlimb ischemia model, Neat1 knockout mice exhibited extensive necrosis following femoral artery ligation, whereas Neat1 overexpression conferred protection against ischemic injury. Mechanistically, we found that Neat1 regulates the stability of Hif1a mRNA, as Hif1a transcript levels were significantly reduced in Neat1-deficient muscle cells. Importantly, aged muscles displayed a blunted hypoxic response due to diminished Hif1a expression—an effect that was reversed through Neat1 overexpression, resulting in improved resistance to ischemic damage.

In summary, our findings highlight Neat1 as a novel regulator of muscle adaptation to hypoxia in aging. Enhancing Neat1 expression may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for improving ischemic outcomes in patients with peripheral artery disease.