Hepatic miR-192-3p reactivation alleviates steatosis by targeting glucocorticoid receptor.

Background & Aims: The paradox of hepatic insulin resistance describes the inability for liver to respond to bioenergetics hormones in suppressing gluconeogenesis whilst maintaining lipid synthesis. Here, we report the deficiency of miR-192-3p in the livers of mice with diabetes and its role in alleviating hepatic steatosis.

Methods: As conventional pre-microRNA (miRNA) stem-loop overexpression only boosts guiding strand ( miR-192-5p) expression, we adopted an artificial AAV(DJ)-directed, RNA Pol III promoter-driven miRNA hairpin construct for star-strand-specific overexpression in the liver. Liver steatosis and insulin resistance markers were evaluated in primary hepatocytes, mice with diabetes, and mice with excessive carbohydrate consumption.

Results: Functional loss of miR-192-3p in liver exacerbated hepatic micro-vesicular steatosis and insulin resistance in either mice with diabetes or wild-type mice with excessive fructose consumption. Liver-specific overexpression of miR-192-3p effectively halted hepatic steatosis and ameliorated insulin resistance in these mice models. Likewise, hepatocytes overexpressing miR-192-3p exhibited improved lipid accumulation, accompanied with decreases in lipogenesis and lipid-accumulation-related transcripts. Mechanistically, glucocorticoid receptor (GCR, also known as nuclear receptor subfamily 3, group C, member 1 [NR3C1]) was demonstrated to be negatively regulated by miR-192-3p. The effect of miR-192-3p on mitigating micro-vesicular steatosis was ablated by the reactivation of NR3C1.

Conclusions: The star strand miR-192-3p was an undermined glycerolipid regulator involved in controlling fat accumulation and insulin sensitivity in liver through blockade of hepatic GCR signalling; this miRNA may serve as a potential therapeutic option for the common co-mobility of diabetic mellitus and fatty liver disease.

Lay Summary: The potential regulatory activity of star strand microRNA (miRNA) species has been substantially underestimated. In this study, we investigate the role and mechanism of an overlooked star strand miRNA (miR-192-3p) in regulating hepatic steatosis and insulin signalling in the livers of mice with diabetes and mice under excessive carbohydrate consumption.