MicroRNA-544 attenuates diabetic renal injury via suppressing glomerulosclerosis and inflammation by targeting FASN.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. Accumulating evidence shows that microRNAs play important roles in diabetic kidney. However, the potential role of MicroRNA-544 (miR-544) in DN remains unclear. In this study, we explored the role of miR-544 on inflammation and fibrosis in diabetic kidney using db/db mice. Renal expression of miR-544 was decreased in mice, companied by increased the expression of FASN. The dual luciferase assay confirmed FASN as a direct target of miR-544. Over-expression of miR-544 significantly ameliorated renal injury, mesangial matrix and renal fibrosis. In addition, over-expression of miR-544 significantly attenuated inflammatory cells infiltration and IL-1, IL-6, TNF- and iNOS production in DN. Furthermore, miR-544 over-expression inhibited the activation of NF-kB signal pathway in DN. In conclusion, our finding demonstrated that miR-544 attenuates diabetic renal injury via suppressing glomerulosclerosis and inflammation by targeting FASN, suggesting that miR-544 might have therapeutic potential for the treatment of DN.