miR-29b protects fibrotic responses in NIH/3T3 cells induced with TGF-β without activating TLRs.

<p>(A) <i>Col1a1</i> mRNA expression in NIH/3T3 cells was reduced after transfection with miR-29b Psh-match compared with cells treated only with TGF-β. The degree of reduction in <i>COL1A1</i> expression induced by miR-29b Psh-match transfection was greater than that induced by either miR-29b scrambled control or miR-29b mimic (Fig 2A) (*P<0.05). (B) miR-29b Psh-match does not induce TLR signaling activity. TLR signaling activity was measured using an NF-κB reporter in which luciferase cDNA was placed under the control of the κB response element. The dsRNA and ssRNA induce the activation of NF-κB through TLR3 and TLR7, respectively.</p

Bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mouse lungs.

<p>(A) Images of lungs from mice that were either subject to nasal administration of methylene blue (right) or not (left). (B) Fold changes in <i>Col1a1</i> mRNA showed a peak one week after bleomycin administration. (*P<0.05) (C) Histological staining by HE and Masson’s trichrome showed pronounced diffuse fibrosis in the lungs three weeks after bleomycin administration.</p

miR-29b Psh-match suppresses pulmonary fibrosis in mice to a greater degree than miR-29b mimic.

<p>(A) In bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibroblast model mice, quantitative real-time PCR data indicates an increase in <i>Col1a1</i> mRNA expression. Expression of <i>Col1a1</i> decreased in the lungs of mice administered with miR-29b Psh-match relative to mice administered with either PBS, miR-29b scrambled control, or miR-29b mimic (*P<0.05). (B) HE and Masson’s trichrome staining showed the pronounced diffuse fibrosis on the lungs in the bleomycin-treated mice. Administration of miR-29b Psh-match suppressed pulmonary fibrosis in an established mouse model of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis (*P<0.05). High magnification images of the lungs of mice administered with either miR-29b mimic or Psh-match mice are shown in the frames. (C) Hydroxyproline content was measured as micrograms of hydroxyproline per weight in grams of the left lung’s tissues in mice.</p

Summary of clinical detalis of acute leukemia patients used for analysis.

<p>Summary of clinical detalis of acute leukemia patients used for analysis.</p

MicroRNA expression in leukemic cells.

<p><i>In situ</i> hybridization was performed using LNA probes for miR-92a and negative control. Blue signals represent positive for the microRNAs. Bars indicate 50 µm.</p

Expression profiling of microRNAs in normal plasmas.

<p>A. MicroRNA expression profiles in seven normal samples by microRNA microarray analysis. Y axis represents relative intensity of hybridization signals. B. Comparison of the signal intensities of various microRNAs among normal plasmas. The signal intensity of each microRNA by microarray analysis is evaluated as a rank order among the detected microRNAs. Y axis represents log₁₀ (Rank of signal intensity in each sample/average rank of that in all samples).</p

Comparison of microRNA expressions in the plasmas of normal and acute leukemia.

<p>A. Comparison of signal intensity ranks of various microRNAs in normal (n = 7) and leukemia (n = 2) plasmas by microarray analysis. Y axis represents mean ratio of the signal intensity rank of leukemia to the rank of normal of each microRNA. B. Comparison of the ratio of miR92a signal intensity to miR-638 signal intensity by <i>Taq</i>Man qRT-PCR among the plasmas of normal and leukemia. Mann-Whitney's U test was used to determine statistical significance.</p

Image analysis for steatosis and fibrosis.

(XLSX)</p

Histopathological findings.

Histopathological findings.</p

Photomicrographs of the liver of <i>db/db</i> mice at 3 and 9 months.

A-D) In db/db mice, steatosis is conspicuous in both 3- and 9-month-old mice. Intralobular and portal inflammation is milder compared to that in TSOD mice, and ballooning is not conspicuous at both ages. Steatosis is more severe in male mice than females at 3 months. (H&E staining, original magnification ×200).</p