miRNA-10a-5p Alleviates Insulin Resistance and Maintains Diurnal Patterns of Triglycerides and Gut Microbiota in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice.

miRNA-10a is rhythmically expressed and regulates genes involved in lipid and glucose metabolism. However, the effects of miRNA-10a on obesity and glucose intolerance, as well as on the diurnal pattern of expression of circadian clock genes, remain unknown. We explored the effects of miRNA-10a-5p on insulin resistance and on the diurnal patterns of serum triglycerides and gut microbiota in high-fat diet- (HFD-) fed mice. The results showed that oral administration of miRNA-10a-5p significantly prevented body weight gain and improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in HFD-fed mice. Administration of miRNA-10a-5p also maintained the diurnal rhythm of , , and expression, as well as serum glucose and triglyceride levels. Surprisingly, the diurnal oscillations of three genera of microbes, , , and , disrupted by HFD feeding, maintained by administration of miRNA-10a-5p. Moreover, a strong positive correlation was found between hepatic expression and relative abundance of , both in control mice ( = 0.877) and in mice administered miRNA-10a-5p ( = 0.853). Furthermore, we found that along with changes in abundance, butyrate content in the feces maintained a diurnal rhythm after miRNA-10a-5p administration in HFD-fed mice. In conclusion, we suggest that miRNA-10a-5p may improve HFD-induced glucose intolerance and insulin resistance through the modulation of the diurnal rhythm of and its metabolite butyrate. Therefore, miRNA-10a-5p may have preventative properties in subjects with metabolic disorders.