Zou Min-Shu,Song Qiu-Ju,Yin Tai-Yong,Xu Hong-Tao,Nie Guo-Ming
Background: The etiology of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is complex, and the disease is thus difficult to cure. In this regard, it has been established that SLE patients are characterized by differing levels of vitamin D-hydroxylation; however, the direct effects of vitamin D
(VitD) in these patients remain unknown. Objective: Therefore, we investigated the effects and mechanisms of action of VitD in the context of SLE. Methods: The effects of VitD on MRL/LPR mice were studied by synthesizing glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β)-interfering lentiviruses
and transfecting with miR-126a-5p mimics. Changes in the body weight of mice were recorded for 6 weeks. Western blotting was performed to determine the levels of T-bet, GATA3, and GSK-3β protein expression, and qRT-PCR was performed to determine the levels of miR-126a-5p and GSK-3β
mRNA expression. ELISA was performed to determine the levels of ANA, dsDNA, and snRNP/Sm in mice serum. Results: GSK-3β and miR-126a-5p were expressed at high and low levels, respectively, in MRL/LPR mice. VitD (30 ng/kg) was found to reduce the expression of GSK-3β and increase
miR-126a-5p expression, which targets GSK-3β. T-bet and GATA3 were found to be positively regulated by miR-126a-5p and VitD and negatively regulated by GSK-3β. The body weight of mice was not altered by VitD. ANA, dsDNA, and snRNP/Sm were positively regulated by miR- 126a-5p and
VitD and negatively regulated by GSK-3β. The effects of GSK-3β were enhanced in response to the inhibition of miR-126a-5p expression. Conclusion: VitD upregulated miR-126a-5p to target GSK-3β expression, thereby alleviating the SLE in MRL/LPR mice.
Ge Jian,Xu Wei-jia,Chen Hai-feng,Dong Zong-hua,Liu Wei,Nian Fu-zhao,Liu Jun
Objective The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of cigarette smoke component (CSC) exposure on serum lipid levels in rats and the underlying molecular mechanism. Methods Male SPF-grade SD rats were randomly divided into a control group and a CSC exposure group, with the CSC group being exposed to CSC for 6 weeks. RT–PCR and Western blotting methods were used to detect lipid metabolism gene expression in rats, and 16S RNA gene sequencing was used to detect the gut microbiota in the rat cecum. Rat serum exosomes were prepared and identified, and the interaction of exosomal miR-291a-3p and miR-126a-5p with AMPK and CYP7A1 was detected by a dual luciferase reporter gene assay (DLRG). Results Serum indicators, including cholesterol levels and trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) content, were significantly affected in the CSC exposure group compared with the control group ( P < 0.05), and the expression levels of adenylate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACC) and HMG-CoA reductase (HMG-CoAR) genes were significantly increased ( P < 0.05) in the liver, while the expression level of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) was markedly decreased ( P < 0.01). 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the gut microbiota in the rat cecum showed that the abundance of Firmicutes in the CSC group increased significantly at the phylum level, while the abundances of Bacteroidota and Spirochaetota were reduced significantly ( P < 0.01). The relative abundance of Romboutsia, Turicibacter, and Clostridium sensu stricto increased significantly ( P < 0.01), and the relative abundance of Prevotella, Muribaculaceae_norank, Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group, Roseburia, Treponema, and Ruminococcus significantly decreased ( P < 0.01) at the genus level. In addition, the exosome miR-291a-3p and miR-126a-5p levels were markedly regulated by CSC exposure ( P < 0.01). The interactions of miR-291a-3p and miR-126a-5p with AMPK and CYP7A1 mRNA were also validated by the DLRG method. Conclusions In summary, the rat dyslipidemia induced by CSC exposure may be related to the interference of gut microbiota structure and interaction of miRNAs from serum exosomes with target mRNAs, which further regulated AMPK-ACC/CYP7A1 signaling in rats.