{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]],"date-time":"2026-09-30T16:52:48Z","timestamp":1790787168185,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"16","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,12]],"date-time":"2025-08-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1754956800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"National Science Centre in Poland","award":["2020\/39\/O\/NZ4\/01732"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2020\/39\/O\/NZ4\/01732"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a cholestatic liver disease with male predominance. This study investigated the role of microRNA-125b in PSC-related liver fibrosis, focusing on its interaction with transforming growth factor beta (TGF-\u03b2), androgen receptors (ARs), and apelin. Elevated serum and hepatic levels of miR-125b were observed in PSC patients, particularly in males and those with advanced fibrosis, and correlated with increased liver injury markers and FibroScan stiffness. miR-125b expression negatively correlated with apelin and TGF-\u03b2 levels, while it positively correlated with AR expression. In vitro, miR-125b overexpression induced ARs and suppressed p53 and apelin, whereas lipopolysaccharide stimulation reduced miR-125b and enhanced pro-inflammatory genes, including TNF-\u03b1 and TGF-\u03b2. Notably, ursodeoxycholic acid therapy significantly decreased serum miR-125b levels. These findings suggest that miR-125b contributes to inflammation and fibrogenesis in PSC, partly through the modulation of TGF-\u03b2, ARs, and apelin signalling. Moreover, the observed sex-based differences in miR-125b expression underscore the influence of androgens in PSC pathogenesis.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms26167784","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,13]],"date-time":"2025-08-13T07:45:31Z","timestamp":1755071131000},"page":"7784","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Sex-Dependent Regulation of Liver Fibrosis in Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis: The Role of miR-125b, Androgen Receptors, TGF-\u03b2, and Apelin Signalling"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"26","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-4190-9901","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Joanna","family":"Abramczyk","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Biology, Pomeranian Medical University, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Malgorzata","family":"Milkiewicz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Biology, Pomeranian Medical University, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-9544-4647","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alicja","family":"\u0141aba","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Biology, Pomeranian Medical University, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Piotr","family":"Milkiewicz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Liver and Internal Medicine Unit, Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland"},{"name":"Translational Medicine Group, Pomeranian Medical University, 70-204 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jesus M.","family":"Banales","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Donostia University Hospital, University of the Basque Country UPV\/EHU, CIBERehd, Ikerbasque, 20014 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain"},{"name":"Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, School of Sciences, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7513-8640","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Agnieszka","family":"Kempinska-Podhorodecka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Biology, Pomeranian Medical University, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1481","DOI":"10.1053\/j.gastro.2010.09.004","article-title":"Pathogenesis of Cholestatic Liver Disease and Therapeutic Approaches","volume":"139","author":"Hirschfield","year":"2010","journal-title":"Gastroenterology"},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"612","article-title":"Dynamic Evolution of Mmp-13, Timp-1, Type I and Iii Collagen and Their Interaction in Experimental Liver Fibrosis","volume":"12","author":"Zhu","year":"2004","journal-title":"Chin. 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