Profile analysis and functional modeling identify circular RNAs in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease as regulators of hepatic lipid metabolism.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the leading cause of chronic liver disease, associated with an outcome of hepatic fibrosis/cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, limited exploration of the underlying mechanisms hinders its prevention and treatment. To investigate the mechanisms of epigenetic regulation in NAFLD, the expression profile of circular RNA (circRNA) of rodents in which NAFLD was induced by a high-fat, high-cholesterol (HFHC) diet was studied.

Regulation of the macrophage-hepatic stellate cell interaction by targeting macrophage peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma to prevent non-alcoholic steatohepatitis progression in mice.

Background & Aims: Macrophages display remarkable plasticity and can interact with surrounding cells to affect hepatic immunity and tissue remodelling during the progression of liver diseases. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) plays a critical role in macrophage maturation, polarization and metabolism. In this study, we investigated the role of PPARγ in macrophage-hepatic stellate cell (HSC) interaction during non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) development.

Regulation of PPAR-γ activity in lipid-laden hepatocytes affects macrophage polarization and inflammation in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background: Lipid metabolism disorder and inflammatory-immune activation are vital triggers in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Various studies have shown that PPAR-γ exerts potent anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. However, little is known about the regulation of PPAR-γ activity in modulating cell crosstalk in NAFLD.

lncRNA NONRATT013819.2 promotes transforming growth factor-β1-induced myofibroblastic transition of hepatic stellate cells by miR24-3p/.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key regulators of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), yet the role of upregulated lncRNA-NONRATT013819.2 in activated HSCs remains uncertain. In this study, the effects of NONRATT013819.

Evaluation of controlled attenuation parameter in assessing hepatic steatosis in patients with autoimmune liver diseases.

Background: Hepatic steatosis commonly occurs in some chronic liver diseases and may affect disease progression.

Aim: To investigate the performance of controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) for the diagnosis of hepatic steatosis in patients with autoimmune liver diseases (AILDs).

Methods: Patients who were suspected of having AILDs and underwent liver biopsy were consistently enrolled.

miR-16 integrates signal pathways in myofibroblasts: determinant of cell fate necessary for fibrosis resolution.

Liver fibrosis is characterized by the transdifferentiation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) to myofibroblasts and poor response to treatment. This can be attributed to the myofibroblast-specific resistance to phenotype reversal. In this study, we complemented miR-16 into miR-16-deficient myofibroblasts and analyzed the global role of miR-16 using transcriptome profiling and generating a pathway-based action model underlying transcriptomic regulation.

Performance of transient elastography in assessing liver fibrosis in patients with autoimmune hepatitis-primary biliary cholangitis overlap syndrome.

Aim: To investigate the performance of transient elastography (TE) for diagnosis of fibrosis in patients with autoimmune hepatitis-primary biliary cholangitis (AIH-PBC) overlap syndrome.

Methods: A total of 70 patients with biopsy-proven AIH-PBC overlap syndrome were included. Spearman correlation test was used to analyze the correlation of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and fibrosis stage.

The immunobiology and clinical features of type 1 autoimmune polyglandular syndrome (APS-1).

Autoimmune Polyglandular Syndrome type 1 (APS-1) is a subtype of the autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome characterized by the simultaneous or sequential dysfunction of multiple endocrine or non-endocrine glands. A clinical diagnosis of APS-1 is typically based on the presence of at least two of three following criteria: chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis, hypoparathyroidism and adrenal insufficiency. The first identified causative mutated gene for APS-1 is autoimmune regulator (AIRE) encoding a critical transcription factor, which is primarily expressed in the medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) for generating central immune tolerance.

RNA Sequencing and Bioinformatics Analysis Implicate the Regulatory Role of a Long Noncoding RNA-mRNA Network in Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation.

Background/aims: To analyze the long noncoding (lncRNA)-mRNA expression network and potential roles in rat hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) during activation.

Methods: LncRNA expression was analyzed in quiescent and culture-activated HSCs by RNA sequencing, and differentially expressed lncRNAs verified by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were subjected to bioinformatics analysis. In vivo analyses of differential lncRNA-mRNA expression were performed on a rat model of liver fibrosis.

The role of liver stiffness measurement in the evaluation of liver function and esophageal varices in cirrhotic patients.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) in predicting the presence and severity of esophageal varices (EV) and investigating its association with liver function (LF) in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Methods: Medical records of 90 cirrhotic patients who underwent LSM by transient elastography were retrospectively reviewed. The relationship between LSM and the presence and severity of EV was evaluated by esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and multislice spiral computed tomography (MSCT).

Therapeutic potential of microRNA: a new target to treat intrahepatic portal hypertension?

Intrahepatic portal hypertension accounts for most of the morbidity and mortality encountered in patients with liver cirrhosis, due to increased portal inflow and intrahepatic vascular resistance. Most treatments have focused only on portal inflow or vascular resistance. However, miRNA multitarget regulation therapy may potentially intervene in these two processes for therapeutic benefit in cirrhosis and portal hypertension.

Dynamic expression of miR-126* and its effects on proliferation and contraction of hepatic stellate cells.

In our previous study, miR-126 was identified as one of the leading miRNAs that is downregulated during activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). However, the roles and related mechanisms of miR-126 in HSCs are not understood. In this study, we compared expression of miR-126 during HSC activation both in vitro and in vivo.

Effects of upregulated expression of microRNA-16 on biological properties of culture-activated hepatic stellate cells.

In our previous studies, we identified miR-16 as being downregulated during activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) by microarray hybridization. However, the roles and related mechanisms of miR-16 in HSCs are not understood. In this study, The miRNA RNAi technique was used to analyze the effects of miR-16 on biological properties of HSCs in vitro.

Changes in microRNAs associated with hepatic stellate cell activation status identify signaling pathways.

Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), which is regulated by multiple signal transduction pathways, is the key event in liver fibrosis. Moreover, members of these pathways are important targets for microRNAs (miRNAs). To better understand the critical pathways of HSC activation, we performed comprehensive comparative bioinformatics analysis of microarrays of quiescent and activated HSCs.

Effects of NF-kappaB inhibitor on titanium particulate-induced inflammation in a murine model.

Background: Activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) signaling in response to implant particulates may be critical in the pathogenesis of implant loosening after joint arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effects of pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) in a murine model of inflammation induced by titanium (Ti) particulates.

Materials And Methods: Ti particulates were introduced into established air pouches on C57BL/6J mice.

miR-15b and miR-16 are implicated in activation of the rat hepatic stellate cell: An essential role for apoptosis.

Background/aims: To reveal the microRNA (miRNA) expression profile and related roles in rat HSCs during activation.

Methods: miRNA expression profiling was analyzed in quiescent and in culture-activated HSCs by microarray. The differentially expressed miRNAs, as verified by RT-PCR, were subjected to gene ontology (GO) analysis.

Effect of qi-tonifying and stasis-eliminating therapy on expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptors Flt-1, Flk-1 in the brain of intracerebral hemorrhagic rats.

Objective: To investigate the effects and mechanism of qi-tonifying and stasis-eliminating (QTSE) therapy on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors Flt-1 and Flk-1 in the brains of intracerebral hemorrhagic (model) rats.

Methods: One hundred and eighty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups: the normal group (n=5), the sham-operative (SO) group (n=35), the model group (n=35), the QTSE group (n=35), the QT group (n=35) and the SE group (n=35). All the rats except those in the normal group and SO group were established into an intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH) model by intracerebral injection of collagenase type VII and the latter three were orally administered with Buyang Huanwu Decoction (a classical recipe for QTSE) or with some of its components for qi-tonification and for stasis-elimination, respectively.