The regulation of LPCAT3 by miR-124-3p.1 in acute kidney injury suppresses cell proliferation by disrupting phospholipid metabolism

Sepsis-associated acute renal injury (SA-AKI) is a common critical clinical disease. It is associated with increased mortality and increased risk of progression to chronic kidney disease. However, its pathogenesis is not fully known. We hypothesized that metabolic interactions mediate cell apoptosis and AKI. We found that phosphatidylcholine content in human renal tubular epithelial cells following lipopolysaccharide-induced injury was increased. The activity of lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 3 (LPCAT3), a key enzyme in phospholipid metabolism, was increased, while the expression of miR-124-3p.1, which targets LPCAT3, was decreased. We also found that in the serum of SA-AKI patients, LPCAT3 activity was increased, and miR-124-3p.1 expression was decreased. Further experiments confirmed the specific binding of exocrine miR-124-3p.1 to LPCAT3. Our data reveal the molecular mechanisms of phospholipid metabolic disorder in early SA-AKI as well as the role of the miR-124-3p.1/LPCAT3 pathway in SA-AKI, which leads to ferroptosis. These results could provide the scientific basis for early diagnosis and renal replacement therapy in SA-AKI.