Globular adiponectin modulates expression of programmed cell death 4 and miR-21 in RAW 264.7 macrophages through the MAPK/NF-κB pathway

MicroRNA-21 and programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4), a downstream target of miR-21, mediate diverse physiological responses. Here we demonstrate that globular adiponectin (gAcrp) modulates expression of miR-21 and PDCD4 in RAW 264.7 macrophages. These effects were abrogated by inhibitors of ERK1/2, JNK or NF-κB. Conditioned media collected from gAcrp-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages caused similar effects as direct gAcrp treatment, showing the paracrine effect of gAcrp. These data indicate that gAcrp modulates the miR-21/PDCD4 axis through the ERK and JNK/NF-κB pathways in RAW 264.7 macrophages and further suggest that the miR-21/PDCD4 axis may be a novel target mediating adiponectin-induced biological responses.