MiR-92a regulates brown adipocytes differentiation, mitochondrial oxidative respiration, and heat generation by targeting SMAD7

Brown adipocytes are rich in mitochondria and linked to the body's blood fat levels and obesity. MiR-92a is negatively correlated with the activity of brown adipocytes. This study aimed to explore the mechanism of miR-92a on brown adipocytes. The expression of miR-92a in C2C12 cell was detected by a quantitative real-time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). C2C12 cells were induced to brown adipocytes. The direct target gene of miR-92a was determined using the dual-luciferase reporter assay. Brown adipocytes were treated with isoprenaline (Iso) and transfected by miR-92a inhibitor and siSMAD7. The expression of heat-producing genes and adipose differentiation genes related to brown adipocytes were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis. The expression of SMAD7, p-SMAD2, and p-SMAD3 were detected using Western blot analysis. The mitochondrial content was measured by mitotracker fluorescent staining. MiR-92a inhibitor significantly decreased the expression of miR-92a in C2C12 cells. MiR-92a inhibitor could upregulate the expression of Ucp1, Cox7a1, Elovl3, Ppargc1α, PPARγ, and FABP4, and its effect on Ucp1 was increased after the treatment of isoprenaline. Moreover, miR-92a inhibitor increased mitochondrial content, oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and the expression of SMAD7 and suppressed the expressions of p-SMAD2 and p-SMAD3, whereas miR-92a directly targeted SMAD7 to exert its inhibitory effects. SiSMAD7 reversed the effects of the inhibitor on heat-producing genes, mitochondrial content, OCR and the expressions of SMAD7, p-SMAD2, and p-SMAD3 in brown adipocytes. Blocking miR-92a might promote brown adipocytes differentiation, mitochondrial oxidative respiration, and thermogenesis by targeting SMAD7 to inhibit the expressions of p-SMAD2 and p-SMAD3.