Sex differences in the neuroinflammatory signaling pathway: effect of miRNAs on fatty acid synthesis in microglia
Por:
H. ZHENG, A. MIZOKAMI, S. ROMERA-GINER, J. LLERA-OYOLA, Y. YAMAWAKI, T. SANO, E. JIMI, F. GARCÍA-GARCÍA and T. KANEMATSU
Publicada:
4 feb 2025
Resumen:
BackgroundSignificant sex differences exist in the prevalence and incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Notably, testosterone has been reported to regulate cognitive functions in the brain, with low serum testosterone levels correlating with increased AD risk. However, the specific mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. Recent studies have demonstrated that microglia, the primary innate immune cells in the brain, play a crucial role in AD development. Therefore, this study aimed to explore sex differences in microglial function, specifically focusing on the role of testosterone in miRNA-mediated regulation of microglial gene expression.MethodsMicroglia were isolated from pooled hippocampal tissue of five 8-month-old male and female mice. Total RNA was extracted and subjected to miRNA microarray analysis. The mouse microglial cell line MG6 was used for in vitro experiments. Following testosterone treatment, miRNA, gene, and protein expression levels were investigated. An inflammatory response was induced using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation, and subsequent p65 phosphorylation was assessed.ResultsSex-dependent differences were observed in miRNA-mediated biological processes, with males exhibiting greater changes. Male-enriched miRNAs were associated with fatty acid synthesis and metabolism pathways. In MG6 cells, testosterone treatment upregulated the expression of several miRNAs enriched in male microglia, particularly those targeting genes related to fatty acid synthesis. Additionally, testosterone significantly reduced the gene expression of fatty acid synthase (FASN). This testosterone-induced inhibition of FASN expression attenuated NF-kappa B/p65 phosphorylation. Consequently, the suppression of FASN expression led to reduced expression and secretion of tumor necrosis factor-alpha following LPS stimulation in MG6 cells.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that testosterone modulates inflammation in male microglia by regulating fatty acid synthesis, potentially contributing to the observed sex differences in AD pathogenesis.
Filiaciones:
H. ZHENG:
Kyushu Univ, Fac Dent Sci, Dept Cell Biol Aging Sci & Pharmacol, Div Oral Biol Sci, 3-1-1 Maidashi,Higashi Ku, Fukuoka 8128582, Japan
A. MIZOKAMI:
Kyushu Univ, Fac Dent Sci, OBT Res Ctr, 3-1-1 Maidashi,Higashi Ku, Fukuoka 8128582, Japan
:
Prince Felipe Res Ctr CIPF, Computat Biomed Lab, Valencia 46012, Spain
J. LLERA-OYOLA:
Prince Felipe Res Ctr CIPF, Computat Biomed Lab, Valencia 46012, Spain
Y. YAMAWAKI:
Daiichi Univ Pharm, Dept Adv Pharmacol, 22-1 Tamagawa Cho,Minami Ku, Fukuoka 8158511, Japan
T. SANO:
Kyushu Univ, Fac Dent Sci, Dept Cell Biol Aging Sci & Pharmacol, Div Oral Biol Sci, 3-1-1 Maidashi,Higashi Ku, Fukuoka 8128582, Japan
E. JIMI:
Kyushu Univ, Fac Dent Sci, OBT Res Ctr, 3-1-1 Maidashi,Higashi Ku, Fukuoka 8128582, Japan
Kyushu Univ, Div Oral Biol Sci, Lab Mol & Cellular Biochem, 3-1-1 Maidashi,Higashi Ku, Fukuoka 8128582, Japan
:
Prince Felipe Res Ctr CIPF, Computat Biomed Lab, Valencia 46012, Spain
T. KANEMATSU:
Kyushu Univ, Fac Dent Sci, Dept Cell Biol Aging Sci & Pharmacol, Div Oral Biol Sci, 3-1-1 Maidashi,Higashi Ku, Fukuoka 8128582, Japan
Green Submitted, gold
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