The long non-coding RNA mir155hg promotes NLRP3-inflammasome activation and oxidative stress response in acute lung injury by targeting miR-450b-5p to regulate HIF-1α

Free Radic Biol Med. 2024 Sep:222:638-649. doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2024.07.005. Epub 2024 Jul 15.

Abstract

Background: Acute lung injury (ALI) can cause multiple organ dysfunction and a high mortality rate. Inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, and immune damage contribute to their pathogenic mechanisms. We studied the role of the newly discovered lncRNA, Lncmir155hg, in ALI.

Methods: The levels of Lncmir155hg and miR-450b-5p from mice with ALI were detected via polymerase chain reaction analysis (qRT-PCR) and Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Pathological changes of lung were detected by HE (hematoxylin and eosin) staining, and HIF-1α, NOD-like receptor 3 (NLRP3) and caspase-1 protein changes were detected by immunohistochemistry. MLE-12 cells proliferation was detected by Cell-Counting Kit 8 analysis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected via flow cytometry. NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC), and caspase-1 were measured via western blotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays detected the expression of Inflammatory factors. Lncmir155hg, miR-450b-5p, miR-450b-5p, and HIF-1α targets were predicted using LncTar and miRWalk and confirmed in dual-luciferase reporter assays.

Results: In mice with ALI and MLE-12 cells induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), Lncmir155hg was high-expressed and miR-450b-5p was low-expressed. sh-Lncmir155hg reduced the damage of lung tissue, the production of inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress reaction induced by LPS,miR-450b-5p reverses the effect of Lncmir155hg in mice. sh-Lncmir155hg decreased the protein levels of HIF-1α, NLRP3 and caspase-1 in LPS-induced lung tissues. sh-Lncmir155hg + miR-450b-5p inhibitor transfection reversed the effect of sh-Lncmir155hg on the expression of HIF-1α, NLRP3 and caspase-1. Lncmir155hg knockdown induced proliferation and inhibited NLRP3-inflammasome activation and oxidative stress in MLE-12 cells of ALI. miR-450b-5p was identified to have binding with Lncmir155hg, and inhibition of miR-450b-5p eliminated the effect of si-Lncmir155hg in MLE-12 cells of ALI. More importantly, miR-450b-5p was directly combined with HIF-1α, miR-450b-5p mimic promoted proliferation and inhibited activation of inflammasome associated proteins and reaction of oxidative stress, and HIF-1α overexpression abolished these effects.

Conclusion: Lncmir155hg aggravated ALI via the miR-450b-5p/HIF-1α axis.

Keywords: ALI; HIF-1α; Lncmir155hg; NLRP3 inflammasome; Oxidative stress response.

MeSH terms

  • Acute Lung Injury* / chemically induced
  • Acute Lung Injury* / genetics
  • Acute Lung Injury* / metabolism
  • Acute Lung Injury* / pathology
  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / genetics
  • Caspase 1 / genetics
  • Caspase 1 / metabolism
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Humans
  • Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit* / genetics
  • Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit* / metabolism
  • Inflammasomes* / genetics
  • Inflammasomes* / metabolism
  • Lipopolysaccharides / toxicity
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • MicroRNAs* / genetics
  • MicroRNAs* / metabolism
  • NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein* / genetics
  • NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein* / metabolism
  • Oxidative Stress*
  • RNA, Long Noncoding* / genetics
  • RNA, Long Noncoding* / metabolism
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism

Substances

  • NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein
  • MicroRNAs
  • RNA, Long Noncoding
  • Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit
  • Hif1a protein, mouse
  • Nlrp3 protein, mouse
  • Inflammasomes
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Caspase 1