Identification of miRNAs associated with the mechanical response of hepatic stellate cells by miRNA microarray analysis

It has been suggested that hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) could be used in the regulation of liver microcirculation and portal hypertension. The effects of tensile strain on the microRNA (miRNA) profile of HSCs are largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to explore the changes of miRNA expression in tensile strain-treated HSCs. The purity and activation of HSCs were determined by immunofluorescence staining with antibody against desmin and a-SMA, respectively. miRNA profile analysis was performed on HSCs with and without tensile strain treatment (n=3) using microarray analysis. We identified 6 significantly differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs), including 1 downregulated (rno-miR-125b-2-3p) and 5 upregulated (rno-miR-1224, rho-miR-188-5p, rho-miR-211-3p, rho-miR-3584-5p and rho-miR-466b-5p), which were validated by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) experiments. Further analysis of the DEMs revealed that many important biological processes and signal pathways were triggered in tensile strain-treated HSCs. These include the signal transduction mechanisms associated with protein binding, apoptosis, proliferation, and the FoxO and Wnt signaling pathways. In conclusion, this study presents the specific DEMs in tensile strain-treated HSCs. Our study provide novel miRNA-based information that may enhance our understanding of the pathophysiological processes leading to portal hypertension.