Loss of lncRNA-SNHG7 Promotes the Suppression of Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation via miR-378a-3p and DVL2

Small nuclear RNA host gene 7 (SNHG7), a novel long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), acts as an oncogene in cancers. However, whether SNHG7 is involved in hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation during liver fibrosis is still unclear. In this study, upregulation of SNHG7 was found in vivo and in vitro during liver fibrosis. Silencing of SNHG7 led to the suppression of HSC activation, with a reduction in cell proliferation and collagen expression. SNHG7 knockdown also resulted in the suppression of liver fibrosis in vivo. Interestingly, miR-378a-3p was a target of SNHG7. SNHG7 and miR-378a-3p were co-located in the cytoplasm. Downregulation of miR-378a-3p blocked down the effects of loss of SNHG7 on HSC activation. Notably, SNHG7 could enhance Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation to contribute to liver fibrosis, with an increase in T cell factor (TCF) activity and a reduction in P-β-catenin level. It was found that miR-378a-mediated dishevelled segment polarity protein 2 (DVL2) was responsible for SNHG7-activated Wnt/β-catenin pathway. DVL2 was confirmed as a target of miR-378a-3p. SNHG7-induced HSC activation was almost blocked down by DVL2 knockdown. Accordingly, enhanced Wnt/β-catenin by SNHG7 was suppressed by loss of DVL2. Collectively, we demonstrate that SNHG7 reduces miR-378a-3p and attenuates its control on DVL2, leading to aberrant Wnt/β-catenin activity, which contributes to liver fibrosis progression.