Processing of miR17-92 Cluster in Hepatic Stellate Cells Promotes Hepatic Fibrogenesis During Alcohol-Induced Injury

摘要

BackgroundExposure to alcohol and its metabolites can initiate hepatic injury and fibrogenesis. Fibrosis is mediated through hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation, leading to global changes in mRNA and microRNA (miR) expression. miRs are expressed in cells or shuttled to exosomes which can be detected in tissue culture media (TCM) and biological fluids. The mechanisms and function underlying the differential expression and processing of miRs and their downstream effects during hepatic injury remain poorly understood.