Figure 6

27 nt-siRNAs target STAT3-3′UTR and correlates with NOS3 mRNA levels in healthy infants. We used both homologous, slightly different 27 nt-motifs as siRNA for the transfection of HUAEC (A-B). In both motifs, a significant reduction of NOS3 and STAT3 mRNA levels (A) and a tendency to lower eNOS and eNOS(Ser1177ph) protein levels (B) were observed (A) 48 h post-siRNA treatment. No differences in 27 nt-RNA concentrations were found between flow group 0 and 3 (C). Whereas, in infants with normal placental perfusion (flow group 0), 27 nt-RNA enrichment correlated with lower NOS3 mRNA levels (D), no such correlation was found in infants with severe placental insufficiency (flow group 3, E).