TGF-β-induced hepatocyte lincRNA-p21 contributes to liver fibrosis in mice

Sci Rep. 2017 Jun 7;7(1):2957. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-03175-0.

Abstract

Hepatocyte death, as well as the following inflammatory and fibrogenic signaling cascades, is the key trigger of liver fibrosis. Here, we isolated hepatocytes from CCl4-induced fibrotic liver and found that hepatocyte lincRNA-p21 significantly increased during liver fibrosis. The increase of hepatocyte lincRNA-p21 was associated with the loss of miR-30, which can inhibit TGF-β signaling by targeting KLF11. We revealed that lincRNA-p21 modulated miR-30 availability by acting as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA). The physiological significance of this interaction is highlighted by the feedback loop, in which lincRNA-p21 works as a downstream effector of the TGF-β signaling to strengthen TGF-β signaling and mediate its role in promoting liver fibrosis by interacting with miR-30. In vivo results showed that knockdown of hepatocyte lincRNA-p21 greatly reduced CCl4-induced liver fibrosis and inflammation, whereas ectopic expression of miR-30 in hepatocyte exhibited the similar results. Mechanistic studies further revealed that inhibition of miR-30 impaired the effects of lincRNA-p21 on liver fibrosis. Additionally, lincRNA-p21 promoted hepatocyte apoptosis in vitro and in vivo, whereas the proliferation rate of hepatocyte was suppressed by lincRNA-p21. The pleiotropic roles of hepatocyte lincRNA-p21 suggest that it may represent an unknown paradigm in liver fibrosis and serve as a potential target for therapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / genetics
  • Biomarkers
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Hepatocytes / metabolism*
  • Hepatocytes / pathology
  • Liver Cirrhosis / etiology*
  • Liver Cirrhosis / metabolism*
  • Liver Cirrhosis / pathology
  • Mice
  • MicroRNAs / genetics
  • RNA Interference
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / genetics*
  • Signal Transduction
  • Smad Proteins / metabolism
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta / metabolism*

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • MicroRNAs
  • Mirn30d microRNA, mouse
  • RNA, Long Noncoding
  • Smad Proteins
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta