Ulcerative colitis, a major inflammatory bowel disease, is an idiopathic inflammatory disorder of the colonic mucosa, accompanied by an aberrant immune reaction to intestinal microflora. Macrophages are central mediators of intestinal immune homeostasis and inflammation. The relationship between macrophages and the pathogenesis of colitis is poorly understood. We aimed to characterize the changing populations and roles of M1/M2 macrophages in colitis. We demonstrated that M1 macrophages increased and M2 macrophages decreased in colitis, accompanied by Interleukin (IL)-23 and Tumor necrosis factor-α induction and IL-10 suppression. Transfer of M2 macrophages reduced dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis by inducing IL-10 production and promoting regulatory T-cell generation. In vivo neutralization of IL-10 partially reduced the effects of M2 transfer. These findings suggest that macrophages play a critical role in colitis; specifically, disequilibrium of macrophage subsets promotes colitis development. A shift from the M1 to M2 phenotype reduces colitis by inducing IL-10; thus, mobilization of M2 macrophages could be a novel approach to colitis therapy.

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The aim of this study was to analyse the expression pattern and elucidate the mechanistic involvement of long non-coding RNA LINC00467 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The relative expression of LINC00467 and microRNA (miR)-9-5p was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Cell viability was measured using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. The cell proliferation was analysed by cell counting. Cell migration and invasion were monitored by Transwell assay. The luciferase reporter assay was employed to investigate the regulatory effect of miR-9-5p on LINC00467 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARA). The endogenous PPARA protein was quantified by western blotting. It was found that LINC00467 was aberrantly decreased in HCC. The ectopic expression of LINC00467 significantly suppressed cell viability, proliferation, migration and invasion. LINC00467 functioned as a sponge for miR-9-5a and negatively regulated miR-9-5p expression. We also identified PPARA as the direct target of miR-9-5p. siRNA-mediated knockdown of PPARA in LINC00467-proficient cells promoted cell viability, migration and invasion. Our data indicate the critical involvement of LINC00467/miR-9-5p/PPARA signalling in the incidence and progression of HCC.

Aims: Our study aims to characterize the functions of the ADIPOQ gene in the process of fat deposition of pigs, thereby providing a basis for the use of this gene as a molecular marker for pork quality. Methods: We used healthy Junmu1 piglets less than 7 days of age to establish an in vitro culture system for porcine preadipocytes. Chemically synthesized short hairpin RNAs (shRNA) were transfected into porcine preadipocytes to silence the expression of the ADIPOQ gene. We monitored preadipocyte differentiation and determined the levels of the adipocyte differentiation transcription factors lipoprotein lipase (LPL), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (AP2) mRNAs to investigate the effects of ADIPOQ on the differentiation of porcine preadipocytes. Results: After transfection, the mRNA and protein levels of the ADIPOQ gene were significantly decreased (P < 0.01), the number of lipid droplets in the adipocytes was significantly reduced, the OD values reflecting the fat content were significantly decreased (P < 0.01), and the levels of LPL, PPARγ and AP2 were significantly reduced (P < 0.01). Conclusions: These results suggest that interference with ADIPOQ gene expression can inhibit the differentiation of porcine preadipocytes.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been confirmed to participate in liver fibrosis progression and activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). In this study, the role of miR‐193a/b‐3p in concanavalin A (ConA)‐induced liver fibrosis in mice was evaluated. According to the results, the expression of miR‐193a/b‐3p was down‐regulated in liver tissues after exposure to ConA. Lentivirus‐mediated overexpression of miR‐193a/b‐3p reduced ConA‐induced liver injury as demonstrated by decreasing ALT and AST levels. Moreover, ConA‐induced liver fibrosis was restrained by the up‐regulation of miR‐193a/b‐3 through inhibiting collagen deposition, decreasing desmin and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression and lessening the content of hydroxyproline, transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1) and activin A in liver tissues. Furthermore, miR‐193a/b‐3p mimics suppressed the proliferation of human HSCs LX‐2 via inducing the apoptosis of LX‐2 cells and lowering the levels of cell cycle‐related proteins Cyclin D1, Cyclin E1, p‐Rb and CAPRIN1. Finally, TGF‐β1 and activin A‐mediated activation of LX‐2 cells was reversed by miR‐193a/b‐3p mimics via repressing COL1A1 and α‐SMA expression, and restraining the activation of TGF‐β/Smad2/3 signalling pathway. CAPRIN1 and TGF‐β2 were demonstrated to be the direct target genes of miR‐193a/b‐3p. We conclude that miR‐193a/b‐3p overexpression attenuates liver fibrosis through suppressing the proliferation and activation of HSCs. Our data suggest that miR‐193a‐3p and miR‐193b‐3p may be new therapeutic targets for liver fibrosis.