BACKGROUND Diabetic retinopathy(DR)is a major microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus,leading to significant visual impairment and blindness among adults.Current treatment options are limited,making it essenti...BACKGROUND Diabetic retinopathy(DR)is a major microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus,leading to significant visual impairment and blindness among adults.Current treatment options are limited,making it essential to explore novel therapeutic strategies.Curcumol,a sesquiterpenoid derived from traditional Chinese medicine,has shown anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties,but its potential role in DR remains unclear.AIM To investigate the therapeutic effects of curcumol on the progression of DR and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms,particularly its impact on the fat mass and obesity-associated(FTO)protein and the long non-coding RNA(lncRNA)MAF transcription factor G antisense RNA 1(MAFG-AS1).METHODS A streptozotocin-induced mouse model of DR was established,followed by treatment with curcumol.Retinal damage and inflammation were evaluated through histological analysis and molecular assays.Human retinal vascular endothelial cells were exposed to high glucose conditions to simulate diabetic environments in vitro.Cell proliferation,migration,and inflammation markers were assessed in curcumoltreated cells.LncRNA microarray analysis identified key molecules regulated by curcumol,and further experiments were conducted to confirm the involvement of FTO and MAFG-AS1 in the progression of DR.RESULTS Curcumol treatment significantly reduced blood glucose levels and alleviated retinal damage in streptozotocininduced DR mouse models.In high-glucose-treated human retinal vascular endothelial cells,curcumol inhibited cell proliferation,migration,and inflammatory responses.LncRNA microarray analysis identified MAFG-AS1 as the most upregulated lncRNA following curcumol treatment.Mechanistically,FTO demethylated MAFG-AS1,stabilizing its expression.Rescue experiments demonstrated that the protective effects of curcumol against DR were mediated through the FTO/MAFG-AS1 signaling pathway.CONCLUSION Curcumol ameliorates the progression of DR by modulating the FTO/MAFG-AS1 axis,providing a novel therapeutic pathway for the treatment of DR.These findings suggest that curcumol-based therapies could offer a promising alternative for managing this debilitating complication of diabetes.展开更多
AIM To clarify the mechanisms of HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA(HOTAIR) in gastric cancer(GC) migration and invasion.METHODS Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qp CR) was used to detect the expr...AIM To clarify the mechanisms of HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA(HOTAIR) in gastric cancer(GC) migration and invasion.METHODS Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qp CR) was used to detect the expression level of HOTAIR in GC tissues. The correlation of its expression with clinicopathological features was analyzed. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve(AUCROC) was constructed to evaluate the diagnostic value of HOTAIR. Wound-healing assay and Transwell assay were performed to detect the biological effects of HOTAIR in GC cells. qp CR,western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to evaluate the m RNA and protein expression of E-cadherin. RNAbinding protein immunoprecipitation was used for the analysis of EZH2 interactions with HOTAIR. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay was performed to investigate direct interactions between EZH2 and E-cadherin.RESULTS The expression of HOTAIR was up-regulated in GC tumorous tissues compared with the para-tumorous tissues(p < 0.001). Its over-expression was correlated with tumor-node-metastasis(TNM) stage(p = 0.024),tumor invasion(p = 0.018),lymph node metastasis(p = 0.023),and poor prognosis(p < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis confirmed expression of HOTAIR as an independent predictor of overall survival(p = 0.033),together with TNM stage(p = 0.002) and lymph node metastasis(p = 0.002). The AUCROC was up to 0.709(95%CI: 0.623-0.785,p < 0.001). Knockdown of HOTAIR by si RNA in GC cells suppressed the migration and invasion of GC cells. Significantly negative correlation between HOTAIR and E-cadherin was found in GC tissues and cell lines,and HOTAIR contributed to the regulation of E-cadherin through binding to EZH2 with the E-cadherin promoter. CONCLUSION HOTAIR may play a pivotal role in tumor cell migration and invasion. It can be used as a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for GC.展开更多
The engineering of plants with enhanced tolerance to abiotic stresses typically involves complex multigene networks and may therefore have a greater potential to introduce unintended effects than the genetic modificat...The engineering of plants with enhanced tolerance to abiotic stresses typically involves complex multigene networks and may therefore have a greater potential to introduce unintended effects than the genetic modification for simple monogenic traits. For this reason, it is essential to study the unintended effects in transgenic plants engineered for stress tolerance. We selected drought-and salt-tolerant transgenic wheat overexpressing the transcription factor, GmDREB1, to investigate unintended pleiotropic effects using RNA-seq analysis. We compared the transcriptome alteration of transgenic plants with that of wild-type plants subjected to salt stress as a control. We found that GmDREB1 overexpression had a minimal impact on gene expression under normal conditions.GmDREB1 overexpression resulted in transcriptional reprogramming of the salt response,but many of the genes with differential expression are known to mitigate salt stress and contribute incrementally to the enhanced stress tolerance of transgenic wheat. GmDREB1 overexpression did not activate unintended gene networks with respect to gene expression in the roots of transgenic wheat. This work is important for establishing a method of detecting unintended effects of genetic engineering and the safety of such traits with the development of marketable transgenic crops in the near future.展开更多
Somatic nuclear transfer technology has become increasingly promising in biomedicine and agriculture.Whereas the approach remains inefficient and underlying mechanisms remain ambiguous.Although cloned embryos have sim...Somatic nuclear transfer technology has become increasingly promising in biomedicine and agriculture.Whereas the approach remains inefficient and underlying mechanisms remain ambiguous.Although cloned embryos have similar in vitro developmental capacity as in vitro fertilized(IVF) embryos before implantation,they appeared to have much lower full-term developmental efficiency in pig and cattle,and thus it would be reasonable to postulate that profound distinction at the molecular level should exist between them.Herein,RNA sequencing technique was used to screen differentially expressed genes in cloned and IVF blastocysts,and in total 628 differentially expressed transcripts were obtained,among which,280 transcripts are up-regulated and 348 transcripts are down-regulated in cloned blastocysts.Moreover,one statistically significant pathway associated with endoplasmic reticulum(ER) protein processing was enriched,and some ER-stress markers such as ATF4,ATF6,PDIA3,HSPA1 B,HSP40 and HSP90 between cloned and IVF blastocysts were suggested.Additionally,some developmentally important genes such as lipid metabolism related genes(MGLL,DDHD2 and FADS2) and epigenetic modification genes(DNMT1,KDM5 C and MBD3L5) were found differentially expressed between cloned and IVF embryos.展开更多
Following spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury,an endogenous damage system is immediately activated and participates in a cascade reaction.It is difficult to interpret dynamic changes in these pathways,but the exam...Following spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury,an endogenous damage system is immediately activated and participates in a cascade reaction.It is difficult to interpret dynamic changes in these pathways,but the examination of the transcriptome may provide some information.The transcriptome reflects highly dynamic genomic and genetic information and can be seen as a precursor for the proteome.We used DNA microarrays to measure the expression levels of dynamic evolution-related m RNA after spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats.The abdominal aorta was blocked with a vascular clamp for 90 minutes and underwent reperfusion for 24 and 48 hours.The simple ischemia group and sham group served as controls.After rats had regained consciousness,hindlimbs showed varying degrees of functional impairment,and gradually improved with prolonged reperfusion in spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury groups.Hematoxylin-eosin staining demonstrated that neuronal injury and tissue edema were most severe in the 24-hour reperfusion group,and mitigated in the 48-hour reperfusion group.There were 8,242 differentially expressed m RNAs obtained by Multi-Class Dif in the simple ischemia group,24-hour and 48-hour reperfusion groups.Sixteen m RNA dynamic expression patterns were obtained by Serial Test Cluster.Of them,five patterns were significant.In the No.28 pattern,all differential genes were detected in the 24-hour reperfusion group,and their expressions showed a trend in up-regulation.No.11 pattern showed a decreasing trend in m RNA whereas No.40 pattern showed an increasing trend in m RNA from ischemia to 48 hours of reperfusion,and peaked at 48 hours.In the No.25 and No.27 patterns,differential expression appeared only in the 24-hour and 48-hour reperfusion groups.Among the five m RNA dynamic expression patterns,No.11 and No.40 patterns could distinguish normal spinal cord from pathological tissue.No.25 and No.27 patterns could distinguish simple ischemia from ischemia/reperfusion.No.28 pattern could analyze the need for inducing reperfusion injury.The study of specific pathways and functions for different dynamic patterns can provide a theoretical basis for clinical differential diagnosis and treatment of spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury.展开更多
目的:研究长链非编码RNA(lncRNA)生长阻滞特异性转录物5(GAS5)基因多态性与多囊卵巢综合征(PCOS)发病的关联性。方法:选取2018年5月~2019年5月在广西右江民族医学院附属医院生殖医学中心确诊的236例PCOS患者作为病例组,同时选取同期性...目的:研究长链非编码RNA(lncRNA)生长阻滞特异性转录物5(GAS5)基因多态性与多囊卵巢综合征(PCOS)发病的关联性。方法:选取2018年5月~2019年5月在广西右江民族医学院附属医院生殖医学中心确诊的236例PCOS患者作为病例组,同时选取同期性别、年龄相匹配的277例健康女性作为对照组,采用iMLDR单核苷酸多态性(SNP)分型方法检测GAS5基因rs145204276 I/D、rs55829688 C/T和rs6790 G/A位点基因型。采用logistic回归分析GAS5基因多态性与PCOS的相关性。结果:GAS5基因rs145204276 I/D位点多态性在对照组和PCOS组之间差异有统计学意义,logistic回归分析结果显示,与I/I基因型相比,I/D和D/D基因型以及显性模型I/D+D/D具有较低的PCOS发病风险[I/D vs I/I:OR(95%CI)=0.61(0.42,0.88),P=0.009;D/D vs I/I:OR(95%CI)=0.44(0.23,0.84),P=0.013;I/D+D/D vs I/I:OR(95%CI)=0.57(0.40,0.81),P=0.002];与I等位基因相比,D等位基因显著降低PCOS的发病风险[D vs I:OR(95%CI)=0.62(0.47,0.82),P=0.001]。rs55829688 C/T和rs6790 G/A位点多态性在对照组和PCOS组之间比较差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05)。单倍型联合分析显示D-T-A单倍型在对照组和PCOS组间的分布差异有统计学意义[OR(95%CI)=0.61(0.45,0.84),P=0.002]。结论:GAS5基因rs145204276 I/D位点多态性可能与PCOS遗传易感性相关,即携带D等位基因的个体可能具有较低的PCOS发病风险。展开更多
BACKGROUND NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis is recognized as an essential modulator of renal disease pathology.Long noncoding RNAs(lncRNAs)are active participators of diabetic nephropathy(DN).X inactive specific transcript(X...BACKGROUND NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis is recognized as an essential modulator of renal disease pathology.Long noncoding RNAs(lncRNAs)are active participators of diabetic nephropathy(DN).X inactive specific transcript(XIST)expression has been reported to be elevated in the serum of DN patients.AIM To evaluate the mechanism of lncRNA XIST in renal tubular epithelial cell(RTEC)pyroptosis in DN.METHODS A DN rat model was established through streptozotocin injection,and XIST was knocked down by tail vein injection of the lentivirus LV sh-XIST.Renal metabolic and biochemical indices were detected,and pathological changes in the renal tissue were assessed.The expression of indicators related to inflammation and pyroptosis was also detected.High glucose(HG)was used to treat HK2 cells,and cell viability and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)activity were detected after silencing XIST.The subcellular localization and downstream mechanism of XIST were investigated.Finally,a rescue experiment was carried out to verify that XIST regulates NLR family pyrin domain containing 3(NLRP3)/caspase-1-mediated RTEC pyroptosis through the microRNA-15-5p(miR-15b-5p)/Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)axis.RESULTS XIST was highly expressed in the DN models.XIST silencing improved renal metabolism and biochemical indices and mitigated renal injury.The expression of inflammation and pyroptosis indicators was significantly increased in DN rats and HG-treated HK2 cells;cell viability was decreased and LDH activity was increased after HGtreatment. Silencing XIST inhibited RTEC pyroptosis by inhibiting NLRP3/caspase-1. Mechanistically,XIST sponged miR-15b-5p to regulate TLR4. Silencing XIST inhibited TLR4 by promotingmiR-15b-5p. miR-15b-5p inhibition or TLR4 overexpression averted the inhibitory effect ofsilencing XIST on HG-induced RTEC pyroptosis.CONCLUSIONSilencing XIST inhibits TLR4 by upregulating miR-15b-5p and ultimately inhibits renal injury inDN by inhibiting NLRP3/caspase-1-mediated RTEC pyroptosis.展开更多
文摘BACKGROUND Diabetic retinopathy(DR)is a major microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus,leading to significant visual impairment and blindness among adults.Current treatment options are limited,making it essential to explore novel therapeutic strategies.Curcumol,a sesquiterpenoid derived from traditional Chinese medicine,has shown anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties,but its potential role in DR remains unclear.AIM To investigate the therapeutic effects of curcumol on the progression of DR and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms,particularly its impact on the fat mass and obesity-associated(FTO)protein and the long non-coding RNA(lncRNA)MAF transcription factor G antisense RNA 1(MAFG-AS1).METHODS A streptozotocin-induced mouse model of DR was established,followed by treatment with curcumol.Retinal damage and inflammation were evaluated through histological analysis and molecular assays.Human retinal vascular endothelial cells were exposed to high glucose conditions to simulate diabetic environments in vitro.Cell proliferation,migration,and inflammation markers were assessed in curcumoltreated cells.LncRNA microarray analysis identified key molecules regulated by curcumol,and further experiments were conducted to confirm the involvement of FTO and MAFG-AS1 in the progression of DR.RESULTS Curcumol treatment significantly reduced blood glucose levels and alleviated retinal damage in streptozotocininduced DR mouse models.In high-glucose-treated human retinal vascular endothelial cells,curcumol inhibited cell proliferation,migration,and inflammatory responses.LncRNA microarray analysis identified MAFG-AS1 as the most upregulated lncRNA following curcumol treatment.Mechanistically,FTO demethylated MAFG-AS1,stabilizing its expression.Rescue experiments demonstrated that the protective effects of curcumol against DR were mediated through the FTO/MAFG-AS1 signaling pathway.CONCLUSION Curcumol ameliorates the progression of DR by modulating the FTO/MAFG-AS1 axis,providing a novel therapeutic pathway for the treatment of DR.These findings suggest that curcumol-based therapies could offer a promising alternative for managing this debilitating complication of diabetes.
基金Supported by the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China,No.ZR2016HQ08Shandong Province Medical Science and Technology Development Projects of China,No.2016WS0151the Jining Municipal Project on Science and Technology Development of China,No.2013jnwk58
文摘AIM To clarify the mechanisms of HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA(HOTAIR) in gastric cancer(GC) migration and invasion.METHODS Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qp CR) was used to detect the expression level of HOTAIR in GC tissues. The correlation of its expression with clinicopathological features was analyzed. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve(AUCROC) was constructed to evaluate the diagnostic value of HOTAIR. Wound-healing assay and Transwell assay were performed to detect the biological effects of HOTAIR in GC cells. qp CR,western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to evaluate the m RNA and protein expression of E-cadherin. RNAbinding protein immunoprecipitation was used for the analysis of EZH2 interactions with HOTAIR. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay was performed to investigate direct interactions between EZH2 and E-cadherin.RESULTS The expression of HOTAIR was up-regulated in GC tumorous tissues compared with the para-tumorous tissues(p < 0.001). Its over-expression was correlated with tumor-node-metastasis(TNM) stage(p = 0.024),tumor invasion(p = 0.018),lymph node metastasis(p = 0.023),and poor prognosis(p < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis confirmed expression of HOTAIR as an independent predictor of overall survival(p = 0.033),together with TNM stage(p = 0.002) and lymph node metastasis(p = 0.002). The AUCROC was up to 0.709(95%CI: 0.623-0.785,p < 0.001). Knockdown of HOTAIR by si RNA in GC cells suppressed the migration and invasion of GC cells. Significantly negative correlation between HOTAIR and E-cadherin was found in GC tissues and cell lines,and HOTAIR contributed to the regulation of E-cadherin through binding to EZH2 with the E-cadherin promoter. CONCLUSION HOTAIR may play a pivotal role in tumor cell migration and invasion. It can be used as a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for GC.
基金supported by the National Transgenic Key Project of the Ministry of Agriculture of China(2016ZX08011-003)the Agricultural Science and Technology Program for Innovation Team on Identification and excavation of Elite Crop Germplasm,CAAS
文摘The engineering of plants with enhanced tolerance to abiotic stresses typically involves complex multigene networks and may therefore have a greater potential to introduce unintended effects than the genetic modification for simple monogenic traits. For this reason, it is essential to study the unintended effects in transgenic plants engineered for stress tolerance. We selected drought-and salt-tolerant transgenic wheat overexpressing the transcription factor, GmDREB1, to investigate unintended pleiotropic effects using RNA-seq analysis. We compared the transcriptome alteration of transgenic plants with that of wild-type plants subjected to salt stress as a control. We found that GmDREB1 overexpression had a minimal impact on gene expression under normal conditions.GmDREB1 overexpression resulted in transcriptional reprogramming of the salt response,but many of the genes with differential expression are known to mitigate salt stress and contribute incrementally to the enhanced stress tolerance of transgenic wheat. GmDREB1 overexpression did not activate unintended gene networks with respect to gene expression in the roots of transgenic wheat. This work is important for establishing a method of detecting unintended effects of genetic engineering and the safety of such traits with the development of marketable transgenic crops in the near future.
基金supported by a grant from the NationalHigh-Technology Research and Development Program of China(2011AA100304)two grants from Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology,China(2011A090700016 and 2011A020102003)
文摘Somatic nuclear transfer technology has become increasingly promising in biomedicine and agriculture.Whereas the approach remains inefficient and underlying mechanisms remain ambiguous.Although cloned embryos have similar in vitro developmental capacity as in vitro fertilized(IVF) embryos before implantation,they appeared to have much lower full-term developmental efficiency in pig and cattle,and thus it would be reasonable to postulate that profound distinction at the molecular level should exist between them.Herein,RNA sequencing technique was used to screen differentially expressed genes in cloned and IVF blastocysts,and in total 628 differentially expressed transcripts were obtained,among which,280 transcripts are up-regulated and 348 transcripts are down-regulated in cloned blastocysts.Moreover,one statistically significant pathway associated with endoplasmic reticulum(ER) protein processing was enriched,and some ER-stress markers such as ATF4,ATF6,PDIA3,HSPA1 B,HSP40 and HSP90 between cloned and IVF blastocysts were suggested.Additionally,some developmentally important genes such as lipid metabolism related genes(MGLL,DDHD2 and FADS2) and epigenetic modification genes(DNMT1,KDM5 C and MBD3L5) were found differentially expressed between cloned and IVF embryos.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81350013 and 31572217
文摘Following spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury,an endogenous damage system is immediately activated and participates in a cascade reaction.It is difficult to interpret dynamic changes in these pathways,but the examination of the transcriptome may provide some information.The transcriptome reflects highly dynamic genomic and genetic information and can be seen as a precursor for the proteome.We used DNA microarrays to measure the expression levels of dynamic evolution-related m RNA after spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats.The abdominal aorta was blocked with a vascular clamp for 90 minutes and underwent reperfusion for 24 and 48 hours.The simple ischemia group and sham group served as controls.After rats had regained consciousness,hindlimbs showed varying degrees of functional impairment,and gradually improved with prolonged reperfusion in spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury groups.Hematoxylin-eosin staining demonstrated that neuronal injury and tissue edema were most severe in the 24-hour reperfusion group,and mitigated in the 48-hour reperfusion group.There were 8,242 differentially expressed m RNAs obtained by Multi-Class Dif in the simple ischemia group,24-hour and 48-hour reperfusion groups.Sixteen m RNA dynamic expression patterns were obtained by Serial Test Cluster.Of them,five patterns were significant.In the No.28 pattern,all differential genes were detected in the 24-hour reperfusion group,and their expressions showed a trend in up-regulation.No.11 pattern showed a decreasing trend in m RNA whereas No.40 pattern showed an increasing trend in m RNA from ischemia to 48 hours of reperfusion,and peaked at 48 hours.In the No.25 and No.27 patterns,differential expression appeared only in the 24-hour and 48-hour reperfusion groups.Among the five m RNA dynamic expression patterns,No.11 and No.40 patterns could distinguish normal spinal cord from pathological tissue.No.25 and No.27 patterns could distinguish simple ischemia from ischemia/reperfusion.No.28 pattern could analyze the need for inducing reperfusion injury.The study of specific pathways and functions for different dynamic patterns can provide a theoretical basis for clinical differential diagnosis and treatment of spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury.
文摘目的:研究长链非编码RNA(lncRNA)生长阻滞特异性转录物5(GAS5)基因多态性与多囊卵巢综合征(PCOS)发病的关联性。方法:选取2018年5月~2019年5月在广西右江民族医学院附属医院生殖医学中心确诊的236例PCOS患者作为病例组,同时选取同期性别、年龄相匹配的277例健康女性作为对照组,采用iMLDR单核苷酸多态性(SNP)分型方法检测GAS5基因rs145204276 I/D、rs55829688 C/T和rs6790 G/A位点基因型。采用logistic回归分析GAS5基因多态性与PCOS的相关性。结果:GAS5基因rs145204276 I/D位点多态性在对照组和PCOS组之间差异有统计学意义,logistic回归分析结果显示,与I/I基因型相比,I/D和D/D基因型以及显性模型I/D+D/D具有较低的PCOS发病风险[I/D vs I/I:OR(95%CI)=0.61(0.42,0.88),P=0.009;D/D vs I/I:OR(95%CI)=0.44(0.23,0.84),P=0.013;I/D+D/D vs I/I:OR(95%CI)=0.57(0.40,0.81),P=0.002];与I等位基因相比,D等位基因显著降低PCOS的发病风险[D vs I:OR(95%CI)=0.62(0.47,0.82),P=0.001]。rs55829688 C/T和rs6790 G/A位点多态性在对照组和PCOS组之间比较差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05)。单倍型联合分析显示D-T-A单倍型在对照组和PCOS组间的分布差异有统计学意义[OR(95%CI)=0.61(0.45,0.84),P=0.002]。结论:GAS5基因rs145204276 I/D位点多态性可能与PCOS遗传易感性相关,即携带D等位基因的个体可能具有较低的PCOS发病风险。
基金Supported by Natural Science Foundation of Shenzhen University General Hospital (SUGH2020QD011)
文摘BACKGROUND NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis is recognized as an essential modulator of renal disease pathology.Long noncoding RNAs(lncRNAs)are active participators of diabetic nephropathy(DN).X inactive specific transcript(XIST)expression has been reported to be elevated in the serum of DN patients.AIM To evaluate the mechanism of lncRNA XIST in renal tubular epithelial cell(RTEC)pyroptosis in DN.METHODS A DN rat model was established through streptozotocin injection,and XIST was knocked down by tail vein injection of the lentivirus LV sh-XIST.Renal metabolic and biochemical indices were detected,and pathological changes in the renal tissue were assessed.The expression of indicators related to inflammation and pyroptosis was also detected.High glucose(HG)was used to treat HK2 cells,and cell viability and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)activity were detected after silencing XIST.The subcellular localization and downstream mechanism of XIST were investigated.Finally,a rescue experiment was carried out to verify that XIST regulates NLR family pyrin domain containing 3(NLRP3)/caspase-1-mediated RTEC pyroptosis through the microRNA-15-5p(miR-15b-5p)/Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)axis.RESULTS XIST was highly expressed in the DN models.XIST silencing improved renal metabolism and biochemical indices and mitigated renal injury.The expression of inflammation and pyroptosis indicators was significantly increased in DN rats and HG-treated HK2 cells;cell viability was decreased and LDH activity was increased after HGtreatment. Silencing XIST inhibited RTEC pyroptosis by inhibiting NLRP3/caspase-1. Mechanistically,XIST sponged miR-15b-5p to regulate TLR4. Silencing XIST inhibited TLR4 by promotingmiR-15b-5p. miR-15b-5p inhibition or TLR4 overexpression averted the inhibitory effect ofsilencing XIST on HG-induced RTEC pyroptosis.CONCLUSIONSilencing XIST inhibits TLR4 by upregulating miR-15b-5p and ultimately inhibits renal injury inDN by inhibiting NLRP3/caspase-1-mediated RTEC pyroptosis.