title: [Study on early change features of microRNA in the peripheral blood of Sophorae tonkinensis radix et rhizoma induced liver injury rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study early change features of microRNA (miRNA) in the peripheral blood of Sophorae Tonkinensis Radix et Rhizoma induced liver injury rats, and to look for the miRNA biomarkers in the peripheral blood of early liver injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty Wistar rats were randomly divided into the control group and the Sophorae Tonkinensis Radix et Rhizoma (abbreviated as STRR) group, 30 in each group. Rats in the STRR group was administered with STRR decoction at 12 g/kg (2 mL/100 g), while equal volume of the distilled water was given to those in the control group. Rats were anesthetized on day 3, 7, 14, and 28, and 28 days after withdrawal. The serum samples were withdrawn. The alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), total bile (TBIL), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total protein (TP), and albumin (ALB) were detected. The globulin (GLO) level was calculated. HE staining was performed on the liver tissue to observe the pathomorphological changes. The whole blood was collected on day 7, 14, and 28 to perform the microarray test. The differentially expressed miRNAs were screened and verified by RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ALT activity obviously increased on day 7 - 28 in the STRR group (P <0.05). The histopathological results showed the degeneration and swelling of the liver cells on day 28. In the microarray test, there were 11, 22, and 13 up regulated expressed miRNAs on day 7, 14, and 28, respectively. There were 1, 13, 2 down regulated expressed miRNAs on day 7, 14, and 28, respectively. By target gene prediction and pathway analysis of differentially expressed miRNA on day 7, 14, and 28, they involved in regulating and controlling signal transduction, cellular interaction, cytoskeleton. Differentially expressed miRNA might possibly participate in the process of liver injury. The RT-PCR result of the expression of miR-291a-5p with the peak time efficiency on day 7 showed that the expressions of miR-291a-5p in the peripheral blood and the liver tissue were basically identical.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  miR-291a-5p could early indicate the liver injury, which could be taken as one of an early marker in STRR induced liver injury.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Drug Safety Evaluation, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
authors.forename: Yun-hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.forename: Ruo-min
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Guang-tao
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Jing-yi
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Qiao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D035683:MicroRNAs