Circ_0004535/miR-1827/CASP8 network involved in type 2 diabetes mellitus with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

BackgroundDiagnostic delay in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients often leads to a serious public health problem. Understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms of disease in order to develop more effective drugs and combination therapies.MethodsHigh-throughput sequencing was used to determine the expression levels of circRNAs, and mRNAs in health controls, T2DM patients, and T2DM with NAFLD patients. Differentially expressed genes (DEcircRs, DEmRs) in T2DM with NAFLD were identified by differential analysis. The miRNAs with targeted relationship with the DEcircRs and DEmRs were respectively predicted to construct a ceRNA regulatory network. In addition, enrichment analysis of DEmRs in the ceRNA network was performed. The expression of important DEcircRs was further validated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR).ResultsThere were 586 DEmRs, and 10 DEcircRs in both T2DM and T2DM with NAFLD patients. Combined with predicted results and differential analysis, the ceRNA networks were constructed. The DEmRs in the ceRNA networks were mainly enriched in toll-like receptor signaling pathway, and apoptosis. Importantly, dual luciferase experiments validated the targeted binding of hsa_circ_0004535 and hsa-miR-1827 or hsa-miR-1827 and CASP8. qRT-PCR experiments validated that hsa_circ_0004535, and CASP8 was downregulated and hsa-miR-1827 was upregulated expression in peripheral blood of T2DM with NAFLD patients.ConclusionOur work provides a deeper understanding of ceRNA mediated pathogenesis of T2DM with NAFLD and provides a novel strategy for the diagnosis and treatment of T2DM with NAFLD.