Genetic and Epigenetic Modification of Rat Liver Progenitor Cells via HNF4α Transduction and 5' Azacytidine Treatment: An Integrated miRNA and mRNA Expression Profile Analysis

Transcriptional Profile of Cytokines, Regulatory Mediators and TLR in Mesenchymal Stromal Cells after Inflammatory Signaling and Cell-Passaging

Adult human subcutaneous adipose tissue (AT) harbors a rich population of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) that are of interest for tissue repair. For this purpose, it is of utmost importance to determine the response of AT-MSCs to proliferative and inflammatory signals within the damaged tissue. We have characterized the transcriptional profile of cytokines, regulatory mediators and Toll-like receptors (TLR) relevant to the response of MSCs. AT-MSCs constitutively present a distinct profile for each gene and differentially responded to inflammation and cell-passaging. Inflammation leads to an upregulation of IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, TNFα and CCL5 cytokine expression. Inflammation and cell-passaging increased the expression of HGF, IDO1, PTGS1, PTGS2 and TGFβ. The expression of the TLR pattern was differentially modulated with TLR 1, 2, 3, 4, 9 and 10 being increased, whereas TLR 5 and 6 downregulated. Functional enrichment analysis demonstrated a complex interplay between cytokines, TLR and regulatory mediators central for tissue repair. This profiling highlights that following a combination of inflammatory and proliferative signals, the sensitivity and responsive capacity of AT-MSCs may be significantly modified. Understanding these transcriptional changes may help the development of novel therapeutic approaches.

Non-coding RNA crosstalk with nuclear receptors in liver disease

The dysregulation of nuclear receptors (NRs) underlies the pathogenesis of a variety of liver disorders. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are defined as RNA molecules transcribed from DNA but not translated into proteins. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are two types of ncRNAs that have been extensively studied for regulating gene expression during diverse cellular processes. NRs as therapeutic targets in liver disease have been exemplified by the successful application of their pharmacological ligands in clinics. MiRNA-based reagents or drugs are emerging as flagship products in clinical trials. Advancing our understanding of the crosstalk between NRs and ncRNAs is critical to the development of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. This review summarizes recent findings on the reciprocal regulation between NRs and ncRNAs (mainly on miRNAs and lncRNAs) and their implication in liver pathophysiology, which might be informative to the translational medicine of targeting NRs and ncRNAs in liver disease.