Microrna-142-5p Facilitates The Pathogenesis Of Ulcerative Colitis By Regulating Socs1

Background: Increasing evidence suggests that abnormal levels of microRNAs (miRNAs) are associated with ulcerative colitis (UC). It has been demonstrated that microRNA (miR)-142-5p was upregulated in UC patients. However, it remains unclear what the role of miR-142-5p is in UC. Methods: Samples from patients with active UC and healthy controls were performed with miRNA microarray to identify miRNAs involved in the pathogenesis of UC. The results of quantitative RT-PCR verified that miR-142-5p was upregulated in UC patients. Meanwhile, the decreased expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) was also detected at mRNA and protein levels. The regulatory effect of miR-142-5p on SOCS1 was evaluated by luciferase reporter assay. Levels of IL-6 or IL-8 were detected by quantitative RT-PCR or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in HT-29 cells to evaluate the roles of SOCS1 or miR-142-5p in the progression of UC. Results: The expression level of miR-142-5p was significantly upregulated and inversely correlated with SOCS1. Luciferase experiments showed that miR-142-5p interfered with the expression of SOCS1 by directly targeting its 3'-UTR. Furthermore, the level of miR-142-5p plays an important role in the secretion of IL-6 and IL-8. Moreover, lost function of SOCS1 reversed the miR-142-5p inhibitory effect. Conclusions: These results indicate that miR-142-5p improved the intestinal inflammation of active-UC patients by downregulating SOCS1 expression and increasing the cytokines IL-6 and IL-8 secretion.