Injured liver-released miRNA-122 elicits acute pulmonary inflammation via activating alveolar macrophage TLR7 signaling pathway.

ABSTRACT: Hepatic injury is often accompanied by pulmonary inflammation and tissue damage, but the underlying mechanism is not fully elucidated. Here we identify hepatic miR-122 as a mediator of pulmonary inflammation induced by various liver injuries. Analyses of acute and chronic liver injury mouse models confirm that liver dysfunction can cause pulmonary inflammation and tissue damage. Injured livers release large amounts of miR-122 in an exosome-independent manner into the circulation compared with normal livers. Circulating miR-122 is then preferentially transported to mouse lungs and taken up by alveolar macrophages, in which it binds Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) and activates inflammatory responses. Depleting miR-122 in mouse liver or plasma largely abolishes liver injury-induced pulmonary inf

SUBMITTER: Wang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6442592 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature