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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Oct 1.
Published in final edited form as: Hepatology. 2011 Jul 29;54(4):1237–1248. doi: 10.1002/hep.24504

Figure 5. Identification of microRNAs in HCC derived exosomes.

Figure 5

Profiling of miRNAs in exosomes or their donor cells was performed from four independent replicates as described in Experimental procedures. (A) The mean values of fold change of expression of miRNA detected in exosomes relative to that in donor cells is shown (n = 4) and the numbers of miRNA that were exclusively detected in either donor cells or exosomes are depicted. 134 miRNAs were identified in Hep3B-derived exosomes, and 140 miRNAs in PLC/PRF/5 derived exosomes. Some miRNAs were predominantly expressed in exosomes compared to their donor cells. (B) Correlation of miRNA expression in Hep3B derived exosomes and in PLC/PRF/5 derived exosomes are shown. A total of 97 miRNAs were detected in exosomes from both Hep3B and PLC/PRF/5. (C) PLC/PRF/5 cells were incubated for 3 days with GW4869, a neutral sphingomyelinase inhibitor which can inhibit ceramide biosynthesis. The cellular expression of miR-16 in donor cells was unchanged whereas expression of miR-16 in exosomes obtained from these cells was reduced following incubation with GW4869 compared to controls. Thus, miRNA release into exosomes occurs via a ceramide dependent pathway. Bars express mean ± SEM from three independent experiments. *, p < 0.05.