Hsa_circ_0001445 regulates acne inflammation via sponging miR-1298-5p targeting ESR1.

Introduction: Acne is a prevalent inflammatory skin condition that occurs in adolescents and can persist into adulthood. CircRNA has been reported to be widely involved in a variety of human diseases. However, the regulatory mechanism of hsa_circ_0001445 in acne has rarely been reported. The purpose is to research the role of hsa_circ_0001445 in acne-induced inflammation and its molecular regulatory mechanism to provide a foundation for the exploration of acne-targeting drugs.

Material and methods: We used the GEO, starBase, and GeneCards databases for bioinformatics analysis. The binding sequences of miR-1298-5p and hsa_circ_0001445 or ESR1 mRNA were predicted by the Circular RNA Interactome or starBase database. Double luciferase reporting assay was applied to verify the regulatory relationship between hsa_circ_0001445, miR-1298-5p, and ESR1. RT-qPCR was used to detect levels of hsa_circ_0001445, miR-1298-5p, and ESR1 mRNA. The secretion levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) were measured using an ELISA kit.

Results: The luciferase activity was weakened by miR-1298-5p mimics in human keratinocytes and sebocytes transfected with wild-type (wt)-circ1445 and wt-ESR1, respectively. Moreover, the overexpression of hsa_circ_0001445 reduced the miR-1298-5p level and reversed the elevation of IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α levels in Bio-C. acnes-stimulated keratinocytes and sebocytes. In turn, transfection of miR-1298-5p mimics partially eliminated the inflammatory inhibition of hsa_circ_0001445, which was reversed by co-transfection of pcDNA-ESR1.

Conclusions: Hsa_circ_0001445 improved acne inflammation via sponging miR-1298-5p targeting ESR1.