Figure 3

miR-181a, renin, and blood pressure: a schematic representation of the novel and existing associations. Green lines indicate positive associations, red lines indicate negative associations and black lines indicate a lack of association. Solid lines represent associations tested in the present study, double lines indicate novel associations and dashed lines indicate associations demonstrated in the literature. Arrowheads, where present, indicate a direction of effect and JGA is an abbreviation of juxtaglomerular apparatus. Renal miR-181a was negatively associated with total renal renin, with immunochemistry/in situ hybridization demonstrating that this association was driven through tubular, but not JGA renin. Total renal renin was not associated with blood pressure but, through JGA renin, was positively associated with circulating renin, a known correlate of blood pressure. Renal miR-181a was positively associated with circulating miR-181a levels, which in turn showed a positive association with blood pressure, independent of renin. Renal miR-181a showed also a negative association with renal expression of mitochondrial respiration pathways and positive association with pathways of renal adaptive immunity and inflammation. Downregulation of renal mitochondrial respiration and upregulation of adaptive immunity and response to inflammation in the kidney are well-known contributors to hypertension.