Interleukin-6 modifies the expression profile of microRNA in mouse 3T3-L1 adipocytes

In the present study we examined the expression profile of microRNA in mouse 3T3-L1 adipocytes treated with IL-6, a known inflammatory cytokine and an adipo-myokine. The miRNA microarray analysis revealed increased expression of 9 miRNA species in adipocytes exposed to IL-6 (1 ng/ml) for 8 days of differentiation. In order to verify the microarray data, qRT-PCR analysis was performed to quantify miRNA expression and we confirmed the increased expression of miR-146b-3p (fold change =1.49±0.17). Using Target Scan database we found potential targets for these miRNAs with expression modified by IL-6 and focused our further interest on genes/proteins involved in cytoskeleton organization and vesicle transport regulation, that is: actin, dynein, myosin light chain kinase, Rab4a, and glucose transporter Glut4. We compared the miRNA expression profiles of 3T3-L1 adipocytes exposed to IL-6 (1 ng/ml) for 8 days of differentiation to control group (non treated samples). Four microarrays were done for control group (non treated samples) and two for cells exposed to IL-6.