Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its advanced stage, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), are increasingly recognized as a global health issue. This study examines the role of small RNAs in the spleen of MASH using a non-human primate model. We performed high-throughput small RNA sequencing on spleen tissues from MASH-primates, revealing significant alterations in the expression of small non-coding RNAs, especially miRNAs. Notably, miR-96, miR-182, miR-183, and miR-122 showed differential expression in MASH spleens. Predictive and validation studies have identified potential target genes, such as PTX3 and NFIX, that were significantly dysregulated in spleens of MASH. These findings characterized small RNAs in spleen of MASH and offer a novel insight for further research for MASH.
Keywords: MASH; MASLD; Non-human primate model; Spleen-liver axis; miRNAs.
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