LncRNA Gm15232 Promotes Lipogenesis in Aging Mice Through the miR-192-3p/GCR Pathway

Abstract Recent scientific studies have highlighted the importance of long chain non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in a variety of metabolic diseases, but the specific functions and mechanisms of lncRNAs in aberrant lipid synthesis associated with aging are unknown. In this work, we inspected the effects of lncRNAs on the lipid metabolism in aging mice, as substantial evidence suggests that aging disturbs lipid metabolism. The results revealed that the expression of lncRNA Gm15232 was significantly elevated in the epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT) of aging mice compared to adult mice. This upregulation of Gm15232 functioned as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) by inhibiting the expression of miR-192-3p, and the ensuing downregulation of miR-192-3p increased the expression of the glucocorticoid receptor gene (GCR), which ultimately stimulated fat synthesis. The upregulation of Gm15232 thus increased lipogenesis through this mechanism. This study reveals a potential target for the treatment of age-related abnormalities of lipid metabolism.