MicroRNAs in obesity-associated disorders

• Published in: Archives of biochemistry and biophysics Vol. 589; pp. 108 - 119
• Main Authors: Abente, Eugenio J., Subramanian, Murugan, Ramachandran, Vimal, Najafi-Shoushtari, S. Hani
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.01.2016
• Subjects: Adipogenesis; Animals; Dyslipidemias - complications; Humans; Insulin Resistance; Lipid/fat metabolism; Metabolic syndrome; MicroRNAs; MicroRNAs - genetics; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - complications; Obesity; Obesity - complications; Obesity - genetics; Obesity - metabolism; Obesity - pathology; RNA therapeutics; Obesity; Insulin resistance; RNA therapeutics; Metabolic syndrome; Lipid/fat metabolism; MicroRNAs
• ISSN: 0003-9861; 1096-0384
• DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2015.09.018

The emergence of a worldwide obesity epidemic has dramatically increased the prevalence of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, predisposing individuals to a greater risk for the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, type II diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. Current available pharmacological interventions combined with diet and exercise-based managements are still poorly effective for weight management, likely in part due to an incomplete understanding of regulatory mechanisms and pathways contributing to the systemic metabolic abnormalities under disturbed energy homeostasis. MicroRNAs, small non-coding RNAs that regulate posttranscriptional gene expression, have been increasingly described to influence shifts in metabolic pathways under various obesity-related disease settings. Here we review recent discoveries of the mechanistic role that microRNAs play in regulating metabolic functions in liver and adipose tissues involved in obesity associated disorders, and briefly discusses the potential candidates that are being pursued as viable therapeutic targets. •Post-transcriptional regulatory pathways contribute to metabolic disorders associated with obesity.•MicroRNAs are involved in hepatic metabolic regulations of lipid and glucose homeostasis.•Inflammation and obesity induced changes in adipogenesis are microRNA dependent.•MicroRNAs are emerging therapeutic targets for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and cardiometabolic diseases.