Hepatocyte miR-34a is a key regulator in the development and progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Hepatocyte miR-34a is a key regulator in the development and progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Xu Y; Zhu Y; Hu S; Pan X; Bawa FC; Wang HH; Wang DQ; Yin L; Zhang Y

Molecular Metabolism

2021

2021-04-27

Objectives: Hepatic miR-34a expression is elevated in diet-induced or genetically obese mice, and patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), yet the role of hepatocyte miR-34a in the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) from non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) to NASH remains to be elucidated.; Methods: Mice over-expressing or deficient in hepatocyte miR-34a and their control mice were fed a diet enriched in fats, cholesterol and fructose (HFCF) to induce NASH. C57BL/6 mice with NASH were treated with an miR-34a inhibitor or a scramble control oligo. The effect of miR-34a on the development, progression or reversal of NAFLD was determined.; Results: Hepatocyte-specific expression of miR-34a aggravated HFCF diet-induced NAFLD. In contrast, germline or adult-onset loss of hepatocyte miR-34a attenuated the development and progression of NAFLD. In addition, pharmacological inhibition of miR-34a reversed HFCF diet-induced steatohepatitis. Mechanistically, hepatocyte miR-34a regulated the development and progression of NAFLD by inducing lipid absorption, lipogenesis, inflammation and apoptosis, and inhibiting fatty acid oxidation.; Conclusions: Hepatocyte miR-34a is an important regulator in the development and progression of NAFLD. MiR-34a may be a useful target for treating NAFLD. (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.)

miR-34a; NAFLD; Lipogenesis; bile acids; Bile acids; lipid absorption; lipogenesis; Lipid absorption

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