miR-34 expression levels in relation to NLRP3 inflammasome activation in THP1-ASC-GFP cells : Pilot study

Abstract: Inflammation is the body’s innate immune system responding to harmful stimuli. The body reacts to this stimuli by forming and activating inflammasomes. Inflammasome protein activation plays major roles seen in metabolic and autoimmune disorders, showing the importance of comprehending the processes involved. The NLR protein family is involved in regulating innate immune responses. These types of proteins can sense pathogen-associated molecular patterns as well as damage-associated molecular patterns. Several miRNA families have been known to be regulators of the NLRP3 inflammasome, indicating that an improved understanding of how miRNAs work together to balance the inflammatory response is an area to be focused on. As well as increasing understanding of the miRNA networks and how those can be used to optimize the response of the inflammasome. The aim of this study was to determine the expression levels of the miR-34 family in relation to the NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Using THP-1 cells, mirRNA was isolated from cells taken at different time points after stimulation of the cells with LPS and ATP, followed by performing a two-step RT-qPCR. The Livak method with the RNU48 reference gene was used and indicated potential downregulation of the miR-34 family during NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Further studies should be carried out to confirm these findings.