Figure 6

Dysregulated miRNA expression promotes intestinal barrier disruption after alcohol and burn injury. Intestinal epithelial cells maintain the gut barrier via a variety of mechanisms that include the expression of tight junction proteins, strict regulation of cellular metabolism, and balancing cell death with cellular proliferation. Changes in these crucial functions results in disruption of the gut barrier following alcohol intoxication and burn injury, contributing to sepsis and multiple organ dysfunction. Our study indicates that dysregulated miRNA expression could significantly impact several pathways associated with intestinal barrier function after alcohol and burn injury. Here we particularly highlight upregulated miRNAs that were associated with reduced proliferation (miR-98-3p and miR-381-3p) and tight junctions (miR-29a-3p, miR-429-3p and miR3535), and downregulated miRNAs that were connected to the upregulation of apoptotic (Let-7d-5p and miR-130b-5p) and metabolic signaling (miR-674-3p and miR-185-5p).