Circular RNAs, Noncoding RNAs, and N6-methyladenosine Involved in the Development of MAFLD

Abstract

Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including circular RNAs (circRNAs) and N6-methyladenosine (m6A), have been shown to play a critical role in the development of various diseases including obesity and metabolic disorder-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). Obesity is a chronic disease caused by excessive fat accumulation in the body, which has recently become more prevalent and is the foremost risk factor for MAFLD. Causes of obesity may involve the interaction of genetic, behavioral, and social factors. m6A RNA methylation might add a novel inspiration for understanding the development of obesity and MAFLD with post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. In particular, circRNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs), and m6A might be implicated in the progression of MAFLD. Interestingly, m6A modification can modulate the translation, degradation, and other functions of ncRNAs. miRNAs/circRNAs can also modulate m6A modifications by affecting writers, erasers, and readers. In turn, ncRNAs could modulate the expression of m6A regulators in different ways. However, there is limited evidence on how these ncRNAs and m6A interact to affect the promotion of liver diseases. It seems that m6A can occur in DNA, RNA, and proteins that may be associated with several biological properties. This study provides a mechanistic understanding of the association of m6A modification and ncRNAs with liver diseases, especially for MAFLD. Comprehension of the association between m6A modification and ncRNAs may contribute to the development of treatment tactics for MAFLD.

Potential Molecular Mechanisms of Alcohol Use Disorder with Non-Coding RNAs and Gut Microbiota for the Development of Superior Therapeutic Application

“…Based on the hypothesis that ketamine may improve alcohol dependency via the mechanism of improving autophagy in neuronal cells, dietary interventions would be possible for the treatment of alcohol dependency. This is because the modification of the gut microbiome is safely imaginable via dietary changes, which could also contribute to the alteration of ncRNA production and/or m6A modification in various cells [83,84]. In fact, some dietary supplements are acting through different mechanisms to reduce alcohol relapse [85].…”