miR-374a Regulates Inflammatory Response in Diabetic Nephropathy by Targeting MCP-1 Expression

The microRNA (mir)-374a has been implicated in several types of human cancer; however, its role in diabetic nephropathy (DN) remains unclear. Monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 is a chemokine that recruits macrophages to inflammatory sites and is important for the development and progression of DN. However, the relationship between miR-374a and MCP-1 in DN is unknown. We addressed this in the present study by examining the expression of these factors in kidney tissue samples from DN patients and through loss- and gain-of-function experiments using HK2 human renal tubular epithelial cells. We found that miR-374a was downregulated whereas MCP-1 was upregulated in DN tissue. A bioinformatics analysis revealed that MCP-1 is a putative target of miR-374a. To confirm this relationship, HK2 cells treated with normal glucose (5.6 mmol/l D-glucose), high glucose (HG) (30 mmol/l D-glucose), or high osmotic pressure solution (5.6 mmol/l D-glucose + 24.4 mmol/l D-mannitol) were transfected with miR-374a mimic or inhibitor. miR-374a mimic reduced MCP-1 mRNA expression and migration of co-cultured U937 cells, whereas miR-374a inhibition had the opposite effects. Additionally, interleukin-6 and -18 and tumor necrosis factor-α levels were downregulated by transfection of miR-374a mimic. On the other hand, MCP-1 overexpression reversed the inhibitory effects of miR-374a in HK2 cells. Thus, miR-374a suppresses the inflammatory response in DN through negative regulation of MCP-1 expression. These findings suggest that therapeutic strategies that target the miR-374a/MCP-1 axis can be an effective treatment for DN.