Lu CH, Hou QR, Deng LF, Fei C, Xu WP, Zhang Q, Wu KM, Ning BF, Xie WF, Zhang X. MicroRNA-370 Attenuates Hepatic Fibrogenesis by Targeting Smoothened.
Dig Dis Sci 2015;
60:2038-48. [PMID:
25686745 DOI:
10.1007/s10620-015-3585-0]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2014] [Accepted: 02/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS
Recent research shows that abnormal expression of microRNA plays an important role in the process of hepatic fibrosis . miR-370 has been reported to be involved in liver function and is suppressed during hepatic carcinogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of miR-370 in hepatic fibrosis.
METHODS
The expression levels of miR-370 in rat fibrotic livers and activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) were evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR. The effect of miR-370 on the activation of HSCs was analyzed by flow cytometric analyses, real-time PCR and Western blot. Adenovirus carrying miR-370 was injected through the tail vein to access the effect of miR-370 on hepatic fibrosis induced by CCl4 in rats. The downstream targets of miR-370 were predicted by the Target Scan database and verified by luciferase assays, real-time PCR and Western blot in HSCs and were further confirmed by immunohistochemistry in vivo.
RESULTS
Real-time PCR showed that miR-370 expression was significantly reduced in rat fibrotic livers and TGFβ1-stimulated HSCs. Overexpression of miR-370 inhibited the proliferation of HSC-T6 cells via inducing cell apoptosis and suppressed the activation of HSCs. Upregulation of miR-370 obviously attenuated the CCl4-induced liver fibrosis in rats. miR-370 was directly bound to the 3'UTR of Smoothened (SMO) and suppressed the expression of SMO in HSCs and fibrotic livers.
CONCLUSIONS
Our study demonstrated that miR-370 plays an inhibitory role in hepatic fibrogenesis by targeting SMO. Restoration of miR-370 may have beneficial effects on the treatment of liver fibrosis.
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