Aims: Altered activities of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been implicated in the regulation of microRNAs. microRNA-27a (miR-27a) upregulation has been shown to induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress podocyte injury in diabetic nephropathy (DN). Herein, we aim to interrogate the mutually regulated network of miR-27a with long intergenic noncoding RNA 1619 (LINC01619) and the target gene.
Results: LINC01619 downregulation was found in human DN renal biopsy tissues and contributed to proteinuria and diminished renal function. LINC01619 was expressed in podocyte cytoplasm and involved in ER stress signaling pathway. LINC01619 exerted biological function by serving as a "sponge" for miR-27a, which negatively targeted forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1) and activated ER stress. In diabetic rats and high-glucose cultured podocytes, LINC01619 triggered oxidative stress and podocyte injuries as demonstrated by increased apoptosis, diffuse podocyte foot process effacement, and decreased renal function. Innovation and Conclusion: This study demonstrates that LINC01619 functions as a competing endogenous RNA and regulates miR-27a/FOXO1-mediated ER stress and podocyte injury in DN. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 29, 355-376.
Keywords: DN; ER stress; FOXO1; lncRNA; miR-27a; podocyte injury.