miR-485-5p acts as a negative regulator of sepsis-associated acute kidney injury through targeting ICAM-1

Abstract Sepsis is a complex disease involving multiple organs, with high morbidity and mortality rates, and high patient admission rates to intensive care units. The pathogenesis of the kidney: a highly affected organ during sepsis, is markedly complex. Notably, an increase in levels of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) plays a key role in sepsis-associated acute kidney injury. During sepsis, the activation of neutrophils leads to a significant increase in ICAM-1 expression, particularly in renal tubular epithelial cells, leading to the continuous exposure of the renal unit to injury factors. The present study aimed to identify ICAM-1 as a target gene of microRNA (miR)-485-5p. Notably, results of the present study demonstrated that ICAM-1 expression was negatively associated with miR-485-5p in mice with sepsis. Moreover, following treatment with the miR-485-5p mimic, expression of ICAM-1 was inhibited and renal injury was mitigated. Collectively, results of the present study indicated that ICAM-1 inhibition via regulation of miR-485-5p expression may exhibit potential in the treatment of renal injury in sepsis.