miR-150 Deficiency Protects against FAS-Induced Acute Liver Injury in Mice through Regulation of AKT

Hepatic-specific Pgc-1α ablation drives fibrosis in a MASH model

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is a growing cause of chronic liver disease, characterized by fat accumulation, inflammation and fibrosis, which development depends on mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. Highly expressed in the liver during fasting, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) regulates mitochondrial and oxidative metabolism. Given the relevant role of mitochondrial function in MASH, we investigated the relationship between PGC-1α and steatohepatitis.

METHODS

We measured the hepatic expression of Pgc-1α in both MASH patients and wild-type mice fed a western diet (WD) inducing steatosis and fibrosis. We then generated a pure C57BL6/J strain loss of function mouse model in which Pgc-1α is selectively deleted in the liver and we fed these mice with a WD supplemented with sugar water that accurately mimics human MASH.

RESULTS

We observed that the hepatic expression of Pgc-1α is strongly reduced in MASH, in both humans and mice. Moreover, the hepatic ablation of Pgc-1α promotes a considerable reduction of the hepatic mitochondrial respiratory capacity, setting up a bioenergetic harmful environment for liver diseases. Indeed, the lack of Pgc-1α decreases mitochondrial function and increases inflammation, fibrosis and oxidative stress in the scenario of MASH. Intriguingly, this profibrotic phenotype is not linked with obesity, insulin resistance and lipid disbalance.

CONCLUSIONS

In a MASH model the hepatic ablation of Pgc-1α drives fibrosis independently from lipid and glucose metabolism. These results add a novel mechanistic piece to the puzzle of the specific and crucial role of mitochondrial function in MASH development.

Nuclear miR-150 enhances hepatic lipid accumulation by targeting RNA transcripts overlapping the PLIN2 promoter

Alcohol-associated liver disease is a prevalent chronic liver disease caused by excessive ethanol consumption. This study aims to investigate the role of miR-150 in regulating hepatic lipid homeostasis in alcoholic fatty liver (AFL). miR-150 was mainly distributed in the nucleus of hepatocytes and correlated with the degree of liver injury. The decreased expression of miR-150 observed in AFL was a compensatory response to ethanol-induced hepatic steatosis. Overexpression of miR-150 facilitated hepatic lipid accumulation in cellulo and exacerbated ethanol-induced liver steatosis in vivo. In silico analysis identified perilipin-2 (PLIN2) as a potential target gene of miR-150. miR-150 activated PLIN2 transcription by directly binding the RNA transcripts overlapping PLIN2 promoter and facilitating the recruitment of DNA helicase DHX9 and RNA polymeraseⅡ. Overall, our study provides fresh insights into the homeostasis regulation of hepatic steatosis induced by ethanol and identifies miR-150 as a pro-steatosis effector driving transcriptional PLIN2 gene activation.

Identification and characterization of non-coding RNA networks in infected macrophages revealing the pathogenesis of F. nucleatum-associated diseases

BACKGROUND

F. nucleatum, as an important periodontal pathogen, is not only closely associated with the development of periodontitis, but also implicated in systemic diseases. Macrophages may act as an important mediator in the pathogenic process of F. nucleatum infection. As non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have attracted extensive attention as important epigenetic regulatory mechanisms recently, we focus on the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory networks to elucidate the pathogenesis of F. nucleatum-associated diseases.

RESULTS

We screen abnormally expressed mRNAs, miRNAs, lncRNAs and circRNAs in macrophages after F. nucleatum infection via the whole transcriptome sequencing technology, including 375 mRNAs, 5 miRNAs, 64 lncRNAs, and 180 circRNAs. The accuracy of RNA-seq and microRNA-seq result was further verified by qRT-PCR analysis. GO and KEGG analysis show that the differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in MAPK pathway, Toll-like receptor pathway, NF-κB pathway and apoptosis. KEGG disease analysis reveals that they were closely involved in immune system diseases, cardiovascular disease, cancers, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) et al. We constructed the underlying lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks to understand their interaction based on the correlation analysis between the differentially expressed RNAs, and then screen the core non-coding RNAs. In which, AKT2 is controlled by hsa_circ_0078617, hsa_circ_0069227, hsa_circ_0084089, lncRNA NUP210, lncRNA ABCB9, lncRNA DIXDC1, lncRNA ATXN1 and lncRNA XLOC_237387 through miR-150-5p; hsa_circ_0001165, hsa_circ_0008460, hsa_circ_0001118, lncRNA XLOC_237387 and lncRNA ATXN1 were identified as the ceRNAs of hsa-miR-146a-3p and thereby indirectly modulating the expression of MITF.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data identified promising candidate ncRNAs responsible for regulating immune response in the F. nucleatum-associated diseases, offering new insights regarding the pathogenic mechanism of this pathogen.

Toward Personalized Medicine in Radiotherapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Emerging Radiomic Biomarker Candidates of Response and Toxicity

Radiology and radiotherapy are currently undergoing radical transformation with use of biomarkers and digital technologies such as artificial intelligence. These current and upcoming changes in radiology speak of an overarching new vision for personalized medicine. This is particularly evident in the case of radiotherapy of cancers, and of liver cancer in particular. The development of modern radiotherapy with stereotactic body radiotherapy allows targeted treatments to be delivered to the tumor site, limiting the dose to surrounding healthy organs, thus becoming a new therapeutic alternative for hepatocellular carcinoma and other liver tumors. However, not all patients have the same response to radiotherapy or display the same side-effect profile. Biomarkers of response and toxicity in liver radiotherapy would facilitate the vision and practice of personalized medicine. This expert review examines the available molecular, radiomic, and radiogenomic biomarker candidates for acute liver toxicity with potential use for prediction of radiotherapy-induced liver toxicity. To this end, I highlight for oncologists and life scientists that radiomics allows diagnostic images to be analyzed using computer algorithms to extract information imperceptible to the human eye and of relevance to forecasting clinical outcomes. This article underscores particularly (1) the microRNA-based biomarker candidates as among the most promising predictors of radiation-induced liver toxicity and (2) the texture features in radiomic analyses for response prediction. Radiotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma is edging toward personalized medicine with emerging radiomic biomarker candidates. Future large-scale biomarker studies are called for to enable personalized medicine in liver cancers.

Identification of a MicroRNA-E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Regulatory Network for Hepatocyte Death in Alcohol-Associated Hepatitis

We aimed to identify a microRNA (miRNA)-E3 ubiquitin ligase regulatory network for protein substrates enriched in cell death pathways and investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms in alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH). An miRNA-E3 ubiquitin ligase regulatory network for protein substrates enriched in cell death pathways was constructed using integrated bioinformatics analysis. Differentially expressed hub miRNAs (GSE59492) and their validated miRNA target genes (GSE28619) were identified in the liver of patients with AH compared with healthy controls. Liver samples from patients with AH and healthy individuals and mice exposed to Gao-binge (acute on chronic) ethanol were used for experimental validation. Using hub miRNAs identified by weighted correlation network analysis, a miRNA-E3 ubiquitin ligase regulatory network was established based on 17 miRNAs and 7 E3 ligase genes targeted by these miRNAs that were down-regulated in AH. Among the miRNAs in this regulatory network, miR-150-5p was the only miRNA regulating the E3 ligase cytokine-inducible SH2 containing protein (CISH), the E3 ligase that regulates the largest number of substrates among all E3 ligase family members. Therefore, the CISH regulatory pathway for ubiquitinated substrates was selected for subsequent experimental validation. Consistent with the bioinformatics analysis results, expression of miR-150-5p was markedly increased, while CISH was decreased, in the livers of patients with AH and mice exposed to Gao-binge ethanol. Moreover, ubiquitination of Fas-associated protein with death domain, a predicted CISH substrate involved in the regulation of programmed cell death, was reduced in livers from mice after Gao-binge ethanol. Conclusion: Identification of the miRNA-E3 ubiquitin ligase regulatory network for protein substrates enriched in the cell death pathways provides insights into the molecular mechanisms contributing to hepatocyte death in AH.

miR-150 regulates glucose utilization through targeting GLUT4 in insulin-resistant cardiomyocytes

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in cardiac function and metabolism. However, whether they regulate insulin resistance (IR) of cardiomyocytes remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to shed light on this issue with a focus on miR-150. We found here that miR-150 level was elevated in myocardium of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rat model and in insulin-resistant cardiomyocytes induced by high glucose (25 mM) and high insulin (1 μM). Deregulation of miR-150 downregulated the protein and mRNA levels of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) as assessed by western blot, real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and immunofluorescence assays. Overexpression of miR-150 inhibited glucose utilization in cardiomyocytes as detected by 2-deoxyglucose transport and glucose consumption assays. In contrast, knockdown of miR-150 significantly increased glucose uptake in cardiomyocytes. Moreover, GLUT4 translocation was increased after transfection of miR-150 inhibitor (AMO-150). Collectively, miR-150 reduced glucose utilization by directly decreasing the expression and translocation of GLUT4 in the cardiomyocytes with IR and therefore might be a new therapeutic target for metabolic diseases such as T2DM.

MicroRNA and ROS Crosstalk in Cardiac and Pulmonary Diseases

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) affect many cellular functions and the proper redox balance between ROS and antioxidants contributes substantially to the physiological welfare of the cell. During pathological conditions, an altered redox equilibrium leads to increased production of ROS that in turn may cause oxidative damage. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level contributing to all major cellular processes, including oxidative stress and cell death. Several miRNAs are expressed in response to ROS to mediate oxidative stress. Conversely, oxidative stress may lead to the upregulation of miRNAs that control mechanisms to buffer the damage induced by ROS. This review focuses on the complex crosstalk between miRNAs and ROS in diseases of the cardiac (i.e., cardiac hypertrophy, heart failure, myocardial infarction, ischemia/reperfusion injury, diabetic cardiomyopathy) and pulmonary (i.e., idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer) compartments. Of note, miR-34a, miR-144, miR-421, miR-129, miR-181c, miR-16, miR-31, miR-155, miR-21, and miR-1/206 were found to play a role during oxidative stress in both heart and lung pathologies. This review comprehensively summarizes current knowledge in the field.

Serum MicroRNA Signatures in Recovery From Acute and Chronic Liver Injury and Selection for Liver Transplantation

We previously demonstrated a distinct hepatic microRNA (miRNA) signature (down-regulation of miRNA-23a, -150, - 200b, -503, and -663 and up-regulation of miRNA-20a) is associated with successful regeneration in auxiliary liver transplantation (ALT). This study aimed to evaluate whether the serum expression of this regeneration-linked miRNA signature is associated with clinical outcomes in acute and chronic liver disease. These were represented by patients with acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure (ALF; n = 18) and patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) undergoing treatment with direct-acting antivirals (n = 56), respectively. Patients were grouped depending on their clinical outcome. Global serum miRNA expression was analyzed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) arrays and selected miRNA expression using targeted PCR. We demonstrate that specific regeneration-linked miRNAs discriminate outcomes in both clinical scenarios. We further show that miRNA-20a, -23a, -150, -200b, -503, and -663 undergo concordant changes in expression in 3 distinct clinical settings: liver regeneration accompanying successful ALT, clinical recovery after ALF, and clinical recompensation after cure of HCV. This miRNA signature represents a potentially novel biomarker to predict outcome and optimize patient selection for liver transplantation in both acute and chronic liver disease.

A novel antifibrotic strategy utilizing conditioned media obtained from miR-150-transfected adipose-derived stem cells: validation of an animal model of liver fibrosis

The limitations of stem cells have led researchers to investigate the secretome, which is the secretory materials in stem cells, since the principal mechanism of action of stem cells is mediated by the secretome. In this study, we determined the antifibrotic potential of the secretome released from miR-150-transfected adipose-derived stromal cells (ASCs). The secretome released from ASCs that were transfected with antifibrotic miR-150 was obtained (referred to as the miR-150 secretome). To validate the antifibrotic effects of the miR-150 secretome, we generated in vitro and in vivo models of liver fibrosis by treating human hepatic stellate cells (LX2 cells) with thioacetamide (TAA) and subcutaneous injection of TAA into mice, respectively. In the in vitro model, more significant reductions in the expression of fibrosis-related markers, such as TGFβ, Col1A1, and α-SMA, were observed by using the miR-150 secretome than the control secretome, specifically in TAA-treated LX2 cells. In the in vivo model, infusion of the miR-150 secretome into mice with liver fibrosis abrogated the increase in serum levels of systemic inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6 and TNF-α, and induced increased expression of antifibrotic, proliferation, and antioxidant activity markers in the liver. Our in vitro and in vivo experiments indicate that the miR-150 secretome is superior to the naive secretome in terms of ameliorating liver fibrosis, minimizing systemic inflammatory responses, and promoting antioxidant enzyme expression. Therefore, we conclude that miR-150 transfection into ASCs has the potential to induce the release of secretory materials with enhanced antifibrotic, proliferative, and antioxidant properties.

A mixture of molecules produced by genetically modified stem cells could help repair the damage associated with liver fibrosis. Fat-derived adipose stem cells (ASCs) secrete proteins and nucleic acids that can facilitate tissue regeneration, but the natural mixture of molecules secreted (the ‘secretome’) is insufficient to reverse advanced fibrosis. Researchers led by Say-June Kim of the Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea, have boosted the potency of this cell-derived treatment by engineering ASCs to produce an RNA called miR-150. This RNA inhibits biological processes that drive fibrosis. Experiments in cultured cells and a mouse model of fibrosis confirmed that miR-150 consistently improved the ASC secretome’s capacity to control liver fibrosis and minimize systemic inflammatory responses. This approach could thus offer a safe strategy for promoting tissue regeneration and preventing liver failure.

miRNA-150-5p promotes hepatic stellate cell proliferation and sensitizes hepatocyte apoptosis during liver fibrosis

Aim: To explore the role of miRNA-150-5p (miR-150-5p) in liver fibrosis. Materials & methods: miRNA expression profiles, CCl₄-induced liver fibrosis progression and regression rodent models, quantitative real-time PCR, miR-150-5p mimics and inhibitors, cell proliferation and apoptosis detection, RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were employed. Results: Liver tissue miR-150-5p expression was positively associated with liver fibrosis progression and regression; however, miR-150-5p exhibited a cell-specific expression pattern, namely, it was enhanced in hepatocytes but reduced in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) during liver fibrosis; miR-150-5p overexpression promoted HSC apoptosis and sensitized hepatocyte apoptosis; miR-150-5p mimic had a larger influence on the transcriptomic stability of HSCs than that of hepatocytes; miR-150-5p mediated activation of interferon signaling pathways might be responsible for HSC apoptosis. Conclusion: miR-150-5p exhibited an opposite regulation and function pattern between HSCs and hepatocytes during liver fibrosis.

Hepatic microRNA Expression by PGC-1α and PGC-1β in the Mouse

The fine-tuning of liver metabolism is essential to maintain the whole-body homeostasis and to prevent the onset of diseases. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivators (PGC-1s) are transcriptional key players of liver metabolism, able to regulate mitochondrial function, gluconeogenesis and lipid metabolism. Their activity is accurately modulated by post-translational modifications. Here, we showed that specific PGC-1s expression can lead to the upregulation of different microRNAs widely implicated in liver physiology and diseases development and progression, thus offering a new layer of complexity in the control of hepatic metabolism.

Adult Hepatocytes Are Hedgehog-Responsive Cells in the Setting of Liver Injury: Evidence for Smoothened-Mediated Activation of NF-κB/Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor/Akt in Hepatocytes that Counteract Fas-Induced Apoptosis

Although hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is inactive in adult healthy liver, it becomes activated during acute and chronic liver injury and, thus, modulates the reparative process and disease progression. We developed a novel mouse model with liver-specific knockout of Smoothened (Smo LKO), and animals were subjected to Fas-induced liver injury in vivo. Results showed that Smo deletion in hepatocytes enhances Fas-induced liver injury. Activation of Hh signaling in hepatocytes in the setting of Fas-induced injury was indicated by the fact that Jo2 treatment enhanced hepatic expression of Ptch1, Smo, and its downstream target Gli1 in control but not Smo LKO mice. Primary hepatocytes from control mice showed increased Hh signaling activation in response to Jo2 treatment in vitro. On the other hand, the Smo KO hepatocytes were devoid of Hh activation and were more susceptible to Jo2-induced apoptosis. The levels of NF-κB and related signaling molecules, including epidermal growth factor receptor and Akt, were lower in Smo KO livers/hepatocytes than in control livers/hepatocytes. Accordingly, hydrodynamic gene delivery of active NK-κB prevented Jo2-induced liver injury in the Smo LKO mice. Our findings provide important evidence that adult hepatocytes become responsive to Hh signaling through up-regulation of Smo in the setting of Fas-induced liver injury and that such alteration leads to activation of NF-κB/epidermal growth factor receptor/Akt, which counteracts Fas-induced hepatocyte apoptosis.

MiR-150 attenuates LPS-induced acute lung injury via targeting AKT3

Acute lung injury (ALI) and its severe manifestation of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in human lung are induced by inflammatory cytokines and endogenous factors such as miRNAs. However, the role of miR-150 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI is not clear. Here, we found miR-150 expression was significantly reduced in the serum of patients with ARDS, and negatively associated with the disease severity and 28-day survival of ARDS. In vivo, miR-150 decreased total cell and neutrophil counts, and production of inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) as well as levels of total protein, albumin and IgM in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid in LPS-induced ALI mice. Meanwhile, miR-150 improved the 72 h survival rate of LPS-induced ALI mice. In-vitro assays demonstrated that miR-150 alleviated LPS-induced A549 cell apoptosis, autophagy, and release of inflammatory cytokines. Further, AKT3 was a direct target of miR-150. Silencing of AKT3 partially reversed LPS-induced A549 cell injury, and enhanced the protective effects of miR-150. In addition, miR-150 or si-AKT3 effectively inhibited the phosphorylation levels of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) (p65 and IκBα). In conclusion, miR-150 alleviated LPS-induced acute lung injury via directly targeting AKT3 expression or regulating JNK and NF-κB pathways, which may be a promising therapeutic strategy to treat ALI/ARDS.

MicroRNA-150 enhances radiosensitivity by inhibiting the AKT pathway in NK/T cell lymphoma

Background

Radioresistance is a major challenge during the treatment of NK/T cell lymphoma. This study aimed to investigate the potential role of MicroRNA-150 (miR-150) in increase the sensitivities of NK/T cell lymphoma to ionizing radiation.

Results

In this study, we found that miR-150 was significantly decreased in NK/T cell lymphoma tissues and cell lines. Low expression of miR-150 was positively associated with therapeutic resistance in 36 NK/T cell lymphoma cases. Our further in vitro and in vivo studies illustrated that overexpression of miR-150 substantially enhanced the sensitivity of NK/T cell lymphoma cells to ionizing radiation treatment. Furthermore, luciferase reporter assays in NK/T cell lymphoma cells transfected with the AKT2 or AKT3 three prime untranslated region reporter constructs established AKT2 and AKT3 as direct targets of miR-150. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor LY294002 was used to inhibit Akt to verify miR-150 increase NK/T cell lymphoma cell radiorsensitivity through suppress the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

Conclusions

Taken together, this study demonstrates that miR-150 might serve as a potential therapeutic sensitizer through inhibition of the AKT pathway in NK/T cell lymphoma treatment.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13046-017-0639-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The Role of miRNAs in the Pathophysiology of Liver Diseases and Toxicity

Both acute and chronic liver toxicity represents a major global health burden and an important cause of morbidity and lethality worldwide. Despite epochal progress in the treatment of hepatitis C virus infections, pharmacological treatment strategies for most liver diseases are still limited and new targets for prevention or treatment of liver disease are urgently needed. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) represent a new class of highly conserved small non-coding RNAs that are involved in the regulation of gene expression by targeting whole networks of so called “targets”. Previous studies have shown that the expression of miRNAs is specifically altered in almost all acute and chronic liver diseases. In this context, it was shown that miRNA can exert causal roles, being pro- or anti-inflammatory, as well as pro- or antifibrotic mediators or being oncogenes as well as tumor suppressor genes. Recent data suggested a potential therapeutic use of miRNAs by targeting different steps in the hepatic pathophysiology. Here, we review the function of miRNAs in the context of acute and chronic liver diseases. Furthermore, we highlight the potential role of circulating microRNAs in diagnosis of liver diseases and discuss the major challenges and drawbacks that currently prevent the use of miRNAs in clinical routine.

Long noncoding RNA FOXD3-AS1 regulates oxidative stress-induced apoptosis via sponging microRNA-150

The function of most human long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) remains unclear. Our studies identified a highly up-regulated mammalian lncRNA, FOXD3-AS1, known as linc1623 in mice, in the setting of hyperoxia/reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced lung injury. We found that ROS induced a robust expression of FOXD3-AS1 in mouse lung tissue. Functionally, FOXD3-AS1 promoted oxidative stress-induced lung epithelial cell death. In human lung epithelial cells, the microRNA-150 (miR-150) was identified to interact with FOXD3-AS1; this finding was confirmed using the luciferase reporter assays. Consistently, mutation on the miR-150 pairing sequence in FOXD3-AS1 abolished the interactions between FOXD3-AS1 and miR-150. Additionally, miR-150 mimics suppressed the level of FOXD3-AS1. The antisense oligos of FOXD3-AS1 significantly augmented the intracellular level of miR-150, supporting the theory of sponging effects of FOXD3-AS1 on miR-150. We further investigated the cellular function of miR-150 in our lung injury models. MiR-150 conferred a cytoprotective role in lung epithelial cells after oxidative stress, whereas FOXD3-AS1 promoted cell death. Taken together, our studies indicated that FOXD3-AS1 serves as a sponge or as a competing endogenous noncoding RNA for miR-150, restricting its capability to promote cell growth and thereby exaggerating hyperoxia-induced lung epithelial cell death.-Zhang, D., Lee, H., Haspel, J. A., Jin, Y. Long noncoding RNA FOXD3-AS1 regulates oxidative stress-induced apoptosis via sponging microRNA-150.