title: Overexpression of miR-21 in patients with ulcerative colitis impairs intestinal epithelial barrier function through targeting the Rho GTPase RhoB.
abstract: Although epithelial barrier dysfunction in the gut has been extensively reported in ulcerative colitis (UC), the pathogenesis of this disease is not completely understood. In the present study, we investigated the role of miR-21 in regulating intestinal epithelial barrier function in UC. Colonic biopsies were obtained from 30 chronic UC patients and 30 healthy controls. Using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), we found that both the mucosal and serum levels of miR-21 were upregulated in UC. In situ hybridization (ISH) analysis confirmed the accumulation of miR-21 in UC epithelia cells in vivo. Immunohistochemistry, Western Blot, qRT-PCR, and ultrastructural analyses further demonstrated that the overexpression of miR-21 in UC mucosa and Caco-2 cells impaired the integrity of the tight junctions, resulted in a decrease of the transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) and an increase of the inulin permeability. Furthermore, miR-21 induced the degradation of RhoB mRNA, which led to the depletion of RhoB and the impairment of tight junctions in intestinal epithelial cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 600 Yishan Road, Shanghai 200233, PR China.
authors.forename: Yongzhi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yanlei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Chenzhang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Hongqi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Huizhen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Niwei
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jianjun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Qingchao
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Renyuan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Huanlong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015153:Blotting, Western; D018938:Caco-2 Cells; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008875:Middle Aged; D010539:Permeability; D034622:RNA Interference; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019108:Tight Junctions / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D055815:Young Adult; D020743:rhoB GTP-Binding Protein / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C524940:MIRN21 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D020743:rhoB GTP-Binding Protein