MiR-17-5p downregulation alleviates apoptosis and fibrosis in high glucose-induced human mesangial cells through inactivation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by targeting KIF23

Crosstalk between non-coding RNA and apoptotic signaling in diabetic nephropathy

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a leading cause of end-stage renal disease in diabetes mellitus. It is also a significant contributor to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients Thereby, Innovative therapeutic approaches are needed to retard the initiation and advancement of DN. Hyperglycemia can induce apoptosis, a regulated form of cell death, in multiple renal cell types, such as podocytes, mesangial cells, and proximal tubule epithelial cells, ultimately contributing to the pathogenesis of DN. Recent genome-wide investigations have revealed the widespread transcription of the human genome, resulting in the production of numerous regulatory non-protein-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs) and diverse categories of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). They play a critical role in preserving physiological homeostasis, while their dysregulation has been implicated in a broad spectrum of disorders, including DN. Considering the established association between apoptotic processes and the expression of ncRNAs in DN, a thorough understanding of their intricate interplay is essential. Therefore, the current work thoroughly analyzes the intricate interplay among miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circular RNAs in the context of apoptosis within the pathogenesis of DN. Additionally, in the final section, we demonstrated that ncRNA-mediated modulation of apoptosis can be achieved through stem cell-derived exosomes and herbal medicines, presenting potential avenues for the treatment of DN.

Identification of common genes and pathways between type 2 diabetes and COVID-19

Background

Numerous studies have reported a high incidence and risk of severe illness due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). COVID-19 patients may experience elevated or decreased blood sugar levels and may even develop diabetes. However, the molecular mechanisms linking these two diseases remain unclear. This study aimed to identify the common genes and pathways between T2DM and COVID-19.

Methods

Two public datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database (GSE95849 and GSE164805) were analyzed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in blood between people with and without T2DM and COVID-19. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed on the common DEGs. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed to identify common genes, and their diagnostic performance was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Validation was performed on the GSE213313 and GSE15932 datasets. A gene co-expression network was constructed using the GeneMANIA database to explore interactions among core DEGs and their co-expressed genes. Finally, a microRNA (miRNA)-transcription factor (TF)-messenger RNA (mRNA) regulatory network was constructed based on the common feature genes.

Results

In the GSE95849 and GSE164805 datasets, 81 upregulated genes and 140 downregulated genes were identified. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that these DEGs were closely related to the negative regulation of phosphate metabolic processes, the positive regulation of mitotic nuclear division, T-cell co-stimulation, and lymphocyte co-stimulation. Four upregulated common genes (DHX15, USP14, COPS3, TYK2) and one downregulated common feature gene (RIOK2) were identified and showed good diagnostic accuracy for T2DM and COVID-19. The AUC values of DHX15, USP14, COPS3, TYK2, and RIOK2 in T2DM diagnosis were 0.931, 0.917, 0.986, 0.903, and 0.917, respectively. In COVID-19 diagnosis, the AUC values were 0.960, 0.860, 1.0, 0.9, and 0.90, respectively. Validation in the GSE213313 and GSE15932 datasets confirmed these results. The miRNA-TF-mRNA regulatory network showed that TYH2 was targeted by PITX1, PITX2, CRX, NFYA, SREBF1, RELB, NR1L2, and CEBP, whereas miR-124-3p regulates THK2, RIOK2, and USP14.

Conclusion

We identified five common feature genes (DHX15, USP14, COPS3, TYK2, and RIOK2) and their co-regulatory pathways between T2DM and COVID-19, which may provide new insights for further molecular mechanism studies.

Deciphering the role of MicroRNAs in diabetic nephropathy: Regulatory mechanisms and molecular insights

A serious consequence of diabetes mellitus, diabetic nephropathy (DN) which causes gradual damage to the kidneys. Dietary changes, blood pressure control, glucose control, and hyperlipidemia are all important components of DN management. New research, however, points to microRNAs (miRNAs) as having a pivotal role in DN pathogenesis. Miniature non-coding RNA molecules such as miRNAs control gene expression and impact several biological processes. The canonical and non-canonical routes of miRNA biogenesis are discussed in this article. In addition, several important signaling pathways are examined in the study of miRNA regulation in DN. A deeper knowledge of these regulatory mechanisms would allow for a better understanding of the molecular basis of DN and the development of innovative therapeutic strategies. Finally, miRNAs show tremendous potential as DN diagnostic biomarkers and treatment targets, opening up promising avenues for further study and potential clinical use.

Circular RNA circADAM9 Promotes Inflammation, Oxidative Stress, and Fibrosis of Human Mesangial Cells via the Keap1-Nrf2 Pathway in Diabetic Nephropathy

OBJECTIVE

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been discovered as potential biomarkers for diabetic nephropathy (DN). In this study, the potential roles of circADAM9 in high glucose (HG)-induced cell injury of human mesangial cells (HMCs) were investigated, and the underlying mechanism was elucidated.

METHODS

DN cell model in vitro was simulated by HG treatment of HMCs. Endogenous expressions of circADAM9, miR-545-3p, and ubiquitin-specific protease 15 (USP15) were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Cell proliferation and migration were evaluated using Cell Counting Kit-8 and wound healing assays. The inflammatory response was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Oxidative stress was examined using commercially available kits. Dual-luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down assays were conducted to confirm the interaction among circADAM9, miR-545-3p, and USP15.

RESULTS

CircADAM9 was upregulated in DN samples and HG-treated HMCs, while its downregulation inhibited cell proliferation, inflammation, fibrosis, and oxidative stress. Further investigation revealed that circADAM9 exerted this influence by targeting the miR-545-3p/USP15 axis, thereby regulating the KELCH-like ECh-associated protein 1/nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2 (Keap1/Nrf2) pathway. MiR-545-3p knockdown or USP15 overexpression reversed the effect of circADAM9 silencing in HG-induced HMCs.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that the circADAM9/miR-545-3p/USP15/Keap1/Nrf2 signaling axis is critical for HG-induced cell injury in HMCs and might represent a novel therapeutic target for DN treatment.

Circ_0060077 Knockdown Alleviates High-Glucose-Induced Cell Apoptosis, Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and Fibrosis in HK-2 Cells via miR-145-5p/VASN Pathway

The involvement of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in the progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN) has been reported. However, the functions of circ_0060077 in DN remain unclear. HK-2 cells were treated with high glucose (HG) to establish DN cell model. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was proceeded to determine the levels of circ_0060077, microRNA-145-5p (miR-145-5p) and vasorin (VASN). Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay and colony formation assay were conducted to assess cell proliferation ability. Flow cytometry analysis was employed for cell apoptosis. The oxidative stress level was evaluated by commercial kits. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was adopted to examine the concentrations of inflammatory factors. Western blot assay was utilized for protein levels. Dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA pull-down assay were manipulated to analyze the relationships among circ_0060077, miR-145-5p and VASN. Circ_0060077 level was increased in DN patients and HG-stimulated HK-2 cells. Circ_0060077 knockdown ameliorated the inhibitory effect of HG on HK-2 cell proliferation and the promotional effects on cell apoptosis, oxidative stress, inflammation and fibrosis. MiR-145-5p was identified as the target for circ_0060077 and miR-145-5p inhibition ameliorated the effect of circ_0060077 silencing on HG-induced HK-2 cell injury. Moreover, miR-145-5p directly bound to VASN. Overexpression of miR-145-5p facilitated cell proliferation and repressed apoptosis, oxidative injury, inflammation and fibrosis in HG-induced HK-2 cells by targeting VASN. Circ_0060077 silencing protected HK-2 cells from HG-induced damage by regulating miR-145-5p/VASN axis.

Peritoneal effluent MicroRNA profile for detection of encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis

BACKGROUND

Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is a catastrophic complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD) with high mortality. Our aim is to develop a novel noninvasive microRNA (miRNA) test for EPS.

METHODS

We collected 142 PD effluents (EPS: 62 and non-EPS:80). MiRNA profiles of PD effluents were examined by a high-throughput real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) array to first screen. Candidate miRNAs were verified by single real-time PCR. The model for EPS prediction was evaluated by multiple logistic regression and machine learning.

RESULTS

Seven candidate miRNAs were identified from the screening of PCR-array of 377 miRNAs. The top five area under the curve (AUC) values with 5 miRNA-ratios were selected using 127 samples (EPS: 56 vs non-EPS: 71) to produce a receiver operating characteristic curve. After considering clinical characteristics and 5 miRNA-ratios, the accuracies of the machine learning model of Random Forest and multiple logistic regression were boosted to AUC 0.97 and 0.99, respectively. Furthermore, the pathway analysis of miRNA associated targeting genes and miRNA-compound interaction network revealed that these five miRNAs played the roles in TGF-β signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

The model-based miRNA expressions in PD effluents may help determine the probability of EPS and provide further therapeutic opinion for EPS.

Kinesin family member 23 exerts a protumor function in breast cancer via stimulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Kinesin family member 23 (KIF23) has been described as one of the main genes that are associated with malignant transformation in numerous cancers. However, the exact significance of KIF23 in breast cancer has not been well-addressed. The present study was dedicated to the comprehensive investigation of KIF23 in breast cancer. Initial expression analysis through The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) demonstrated high KIF23 levels in breast cancer compared with normal controls. These in silico data showing high levels of KIF23 in breast cancer were verified by assessing clinical specimens using real-time quantitative PCR and immunoblot assays. Moreover, a high KIF23 level was correlated with adverse clinical outcomes in breast cancer patients. Cellular functional experiments showed that the down-regulation of KIF23 affected the malignant behaviors of breast cancer cells in vitro, whereas the forced expression of KIF23 stimulated them. Mechanistic studies revealed that KIF23 restraint down-regulated the levels of phosphorylated glycogen synthetase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), β-catenin, cyclin D1 and c-myc in breast cancer cells, showing an inhibitory effect on the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. The suppression of GSK-3β was able to reverse KIF23-silencing-induced inactivation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway abolished KIF23 overexpression-mediated protumor effects in breast cancer. A xenograft assay confirmed the in vivo antitumor function of KIF23 inhibition. In conclusion, these findings suggest that KIF23 may exert a protumor function in breast cancer by stimulating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. This work suggests that KIF23 has potential values for targeted therapy and prognosis in breast cancer.

The Hepatoprotective Effect of Piperine Against Thioacetamide-Induced Liver Fibrosis in Mice: The Involvement of miR-17 and TGF-β/Smads Pathways

Liver fibrosis is characterized by a series of events including activation of quiescent hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) into proinflammatory, contractile, and fibrogenic myofibroblasts, which is the primary trigger for the fibrogenesis process. HSC activation involves many signaling pathways such as the TGF-β/smads pathway. Specific microRNAs have been identified to play a crucial role in the activation of HSCs via various signaling pathways. Piperine has recently been studied as a promising anti-fibrotic agent against pancreatic fibrosis through altering the TGF-β1/Smad pathway. Hence, the current study evaluated the beneficial effects of piperine in thioacetamide-induced liver fibrosis in mice through the modulation of miRNA-17 and TGF-β/smads pathways. Mice were allocated into three groups randomly. Thioacetamide was used to induce liver fibrosis for 6 weeks. Starting from the fourth week of the experiment, mice were treated with piperine daily for 21 days. Piperine treatment resulted in a significant downregulation of miRNA-17 expression, leading to the restoration of smad-7 accompanied with marked inhibition of TGF-β/smads signaling with further suppression of the activated HSCs and collagen deposition in the hepatocytes. In conclusion, piperine has the potential to be a promising therapeutic drug for the treatment of liver fibrosis through inhibiting the TGF-β/smads pathway.