Hepatic miR-378 targets p110α and controls glucose and lipid homeostasis by modulating hepatic insulin signalling

Understanding the regulation of insulin signalling in tissues provides insights into carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in physiology and disease. Here we show that hepatic miR-378/378* expression changes in response to fasting and refeeding in mice. Mice overexpressing hepatic miR-378/378* exhibit pure hepatic insulin resistance. miR-378 inhibits hepatic insulin signalling through targeting p110α, a subunit of PI3K and hence a critical component of insulin signalling. Knockdown of hepatic p110α mimics the effect of miR-378, while restoration of p110α expression abolishes the action of miR-378 on insulin signalling as well as its systemic effects on glucose and lipid homeostasis. miR-378/378* knockout mice display hypoglycemia and increased hepatic triglyceride level with enhanced insulin sensitivity. Inhibition of hepatic p110α in miR-378/378* knockout mice corrects the abnormal glucose tolerance. Finally, we show that overexpression of hepatic miR-378/378* ameliorates hepatic steatosis in ob/ob mice without exacerbating hyperglycemia. Our findings establish fasting-responsive miR-378 as a critical regulator of hepatic insulin signalling. PI3K is a central component of the insulin signalling pathway. Here, the authors reveal that miR-378 expression in the liver changes dynamically in response to fasting or refeeding, and show that miR-378 regulates hepatic insulin signalling by targeting the P110a subunit of PI3K.