Background & aims: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of small non-coding RNAs with modulator activity of gene expression. The role of miRNAs in hepatic ischaemia-reperfusion (IR) injury is currently largely unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of miR-370 in hepatic IR injury.
Methods: The expression levels of hepatic miR-370 in male C57BL/6 mice subjected to hepatic IR injury or ischaemia preconditioning were assessed by quantitative real-time PCR. The effect of miR-370 on hepatic IR injury was investigated by serum enzyme analysis and histological examination of liver following treatment of mice with antagomir-370 or control. The levels of proinflammatory cytokines and apoptosis- and proliferation-related genes were also determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Furthermore, the potential targets of miR-370 in this injury were studied by bioinformatics analysis, luciferase assays, quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot.
Results: The results showed that miR-370 expression was significantly upregulated in the mice subjected to hepatic IR injury as compared with the sham-operated mice. Inhibition of miR-370 led to the downregulation of serum aminotransferase and proinflammatory cytokines, as well as the improvement of hepatic histological damage. Reporter assays confirmed that miR-370 directly targeted the 3' untranslated region of transforming growth factor-β receptor II (TβRII). Inhibition of miR-370 was sufficient to reinstate the expression of TβRII and its downstream target phosphorylated Smad3.
Conclusion: Our data suggest that miR-370 acting via TβRII might play a potential role in hepatic IR injury, and inhibition of miR-370 efficiently attenuated the damage to the liver.
Keywords: TβRII; ischaemia-reperfusion injury; liver; microRNA-370.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.