• Q Chen, L Kong, X Xu, Q Geng, W Tang, and W Jiang.
• Department of Liver Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
• Transplant. Proc. 2013 Mar 1;45(2):492-6.

BackgroundMicroRNAs (miRNAs), 21-23-nucleotide noncoding RNAs, act as regulators of gene expression transcriptionally. MicroRNA-146a(miR-146a) has been demonstrated to be one of the key molecules in oncogenesis and inflammatory responses. Few data describe the expression of miR-146a in liver ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. The present study sought to explore the relationship of miR-146a to Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathways in a rat model of warm IR injury.MethodsThe expression of miR-146a was detected by real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction using a partial warm hepatic IR injury model. The expression of TLR4, tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6), and interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase (IRAK 1) protein was assessed by Western blotting as well as the signaling pathways induced by TLR4.ResultsThe expression of hepatic miR-146a was down-regulated in IR injury during the 24 hours after reperfusion, reaching the lowest level at 6 hours after reperfusion. Increases in TLR4, TRAF6, and IRAK1 were accompanied by decreased miR-146a during the 24 hours after reperfusion, peaking at 6 hours. Immunohistochemistry showed cytoplasmic expression of cells positive for TLR4, and nuclear expression of cells positive for nuclear factor κB p65 and c-jun to be increased among IR groups after reperfusion.ConclusionmiR-146a was down-regulated in the early stage of liver IR injury.Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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