Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of
coronary heart disease. In recent years, circ_0029589 (circCHFR) has been found to be associated with
atherosclerosis development. However, the molecular mechanism of circCHFR action in
atherosclerosis development is unknown. This study was aimed to investigate the function and action mechanism of circCHFR in
atherosclerosis development. An
atherosclerosis cell model was created by exposing human vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) to
oxidized low-density lipoprotein. The expression of circCHFR, microRNA(miR)-15b-5p, growth arrest and DNA damage inducible gamma (GADD45G), and their associated
proteins was evaluated using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. Additionally, cell viability, apoptosis, and
cytokine levels were determined using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) assay, flow cytometry, and
enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay, respectively. circCHFR expression was upregulated in patients with
atherosclerosis and
oxidized low-density lipoprotein (
ox-LDL)-exposed HUVECs, whereas miR-15b-5p expression was downregulated. circCHFR silencing significantly improved viability and reduced apoptosis of HUVECs. In addition, the
pro-apoptotic protein Bax and
atherosclerosis-associated
cytokines (
interleukin-1β,
interleukin-6, and
tumor necrosis factor-α) were significantly downregulated, whereas the
anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 was upregulated. Further, we discovered that circCHFR serves as a molecular sponge of miR-15b-5p. GADD45G was found to be an important target of miR-15b-5p; miR-15b-5p mimic inhibited GADD45G expression, reduced apoptosis and proinflammatory
cytokine secretion, and improved cell survival. However, these effects of miR-15b-5p on (
ox-LDL) induced HUVECs were reversed with GADD45G plasmid co-transfection. In conclusion, circCHFR promotes
atherosclerosis progression via the miR-15b-5p/GADD45G axis and may be an important target for
atherosclerosis treatment.