MicroRNA-137-3p Improves Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease through Activating AMPKα

Figure 5

miR-137-3p agomir ameliorates HFD-induced NAFLD through activating AMPKα. (a, b) Mice were fed with a HFD for 24 weeks to establish NAFLD and were also intraperitoneally injected with the miR-137-3p agomir, antagomir, or respective controls (100 mg/kg weekly) at the last 6 consecutive weeks. AMPKα phosphorylation determined by western blot (). (c) To inhibit AMPKα, HFD mice were intraperitoneally injected with 20 mg/kg CpC every other day for 8 consecutive weeks before the mice were sacrificed. Relative hepatic ROS and H₂O₂ levels in the liver (). (d) MDA generation in the liver (). (e) Hepatic IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α levels determined by the commercial ELISA kits (). (f) Hepatic lipid accumulation as determined by the TG, TC, and NEFA levels (). (g) Quantification of the liver weight and LW/TL (). (h) Hepatic hydroxyproline level (). (i) Relative mRNA levels of Col1α1, Col3α1, CTGF, and TGF-β1 in the liver (). (j) Serum ALT and AST levels (). Data were expressed as the , and was considered significant.