MicroRNA-146a-5p attenuates irradiation-induced and LPS-induced hepatic stellate cell activation and hepatocyte apoptosis through inhibition of TLR4 pathway

Elevated toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) expression is associated with a high risk of radiation-induced liver disease (RILD). MicroRNA (miR)-146a-5p is a key regulator of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/TLR4 signaling, but its role in modulation of RILD remains unclear. Here, we found that irradiation and LPS stimulation induced TLR4 and miR-146a-5p expression in the human hepatic stellate cell (HSC) line LX2. Ectopic expression of miR-146a-5p in LX2 inhibited irradiation-induced and LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion and cell proliferation, and promoted cell apoptosis by down-regulating the expression levels of TLR4, interleukin-1 receptor associated kinase 1 (IRAK1), tumor necrosis factor receptor associated factor 6 (TRAF6) and phosphorylation of nuclear factor-kappa B. In addition, the culture medium from the irradiated and LPS-stimulated HSCs transfected with miR-146a-5p significantly attenuated apoptosis in irradiated hepatocytes. Overexpression of miR-146a-5p reduced α-smooth muscle actin production in irradiated and LPS-stimulated LX2 cells, which was associated with inhibition of TRAF6-mediated JNK and Smad2 phosphorylation. Knockdown of TRAF6 or IRAK1 mimicked the effects of miR-146a-5p on HSC function. Furthermore, miR-146a-5p treatment alleviated irradiation-induced and endotoxin-induced hepatic inflammatory response and fibrogenesis in mice through inhibition of the TLR4 signaling pathway. Collectively, this study reveals the anti-pro-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects of miR-146a-5p on liver injury, and suggests a potential application of miR-146a-5p in the therapeutic prevention of RILD.