Utility of Serum miR-122, Liver Enzymes, and Hepatic Histopathology in Response to Hepatotoxicants in Sprague-Dawley Rats

Abstract

More than 80,000 chemicals are in commercial use worldwide. Hepatic metabolism to toxic intermediates is often a key mechanism leading to tissue damage and organ dysfunction. Effective treatment requires prompt detection of hepatotoxicity, ideally with rapid, minimally invasive diagnostic assays. In this study, archetypal histologic features of chemically induced hepatic injury were compared with clinical chemistries (including liver enzymes) and serum concentrations of microRNA-122 (miR-122, the processed form miR-122-5p), a biomarker of liver injury. The hepatotoxicants 4,4'-methylenedianiline (4,4'-MDA), allyl alcohol (AA), or carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) were orally administered to male Sprague-Dawley rats for 1, 5, 14, or 28 days to induce liver damage. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver sections were evaluated histologically for inflammation, fibrosis, necrosis, and lipid accumulation. Liver enzymes were measured in serum, and serum miR-122 concentrations were assessed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Histologic features of hepatic injury dose-dependently increased in both severity and frequency. Increases in liver enzymes and bilirubin were more pronounced in response to AA or 4,4'-MDA than to CCl₄ at early time points. Elevated serum miR-122 levels in animals administered CCl₄, AA, or 4,4'-MDA were more strongly associated with degree of hepatic histopathology than with dosage. Given this sensitive expression pattern postexposure, liver-specific miR-122 may improve the diagnostic accuracy of early hepatic injury.

Keywords: biomarker; fibrosis; hepatotoxicity; liver; liver enzymes; miR-122; pathology.