Abstract: Objective To study the role of miR-19a in ulcerative colitis (UC) in mice. Methods The target gene of miR-19a was
predicted by bioinformatics analysis. The expression of the target protein in UC colon was detected by immunohistochemistry
and Western blotting. The target gene was further identified by enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) report vector
system. Results The target gene of miR-19a was TNF-α as predicted by bioinformatics analysis. TNF-α expression was highly
expressed in the colonic tissue of UC mice. MiR-19a could inhibit the report gene activity of TNF-α-3’UTR-WT but no that of
TNF-α-3’UTR-Mut. Conclusion The target gene of miR-19a is TNF-α, and the binding site is TNF-α 3’UTR. The possible role of
miR-19a in UC pathogenesis involves regulation of TNF-α expression in the colon.