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Exposure to high-dose benzene leads to the inhibition of erythroid differentiation. However, whether lower doses of benzene exposure resemble high-dose effects in erythroid differentiation, as well as the underlying mechanisms, remains largely unknown. To identify the microRNAs (miRNAs) specifically responsible for benzene exposure and their regulatory role in erythroid differentiation, we performed miRNA microarray in CD34 hematopoietic progenitor cells isolated from human umbilical cord blood after treatment with hydroquinone (HQ), a metabolite of benzene at concentrations of 0, 1.0, 2.5, and 5.0 μM. As a result, HQ treatment inhibited erythroid differentiation in a dose-response manner. miRNA microarray analysis revealed that miRNA-451a, miRNA-486-5p and miRNA-126-3p expression were significantly lower in HQ-treated CD34 hematopoietic progenitor cells. In vitro studies showed that miRNA-451a and miRNA-486-5p were up-regulated during erythroid differentiation both in CD34 hematopoietic progenitor cells and K562 cells. The increase in the percentage of benzidine-positive cells and the expression of γ-globin in K562 cells transfected with either miRNA-451a or miRNA-486-5p mimic indicated that both miRNAs played a role in the promotion of erythroid cell differentiation. Overexpression of either miRNA-451a or miRNA-486-5p attenuated the inhibitory effects on erythroid differentiation in HQ-treated K562 cells. In vivo study showed a decreasing count of peripheral red blood cell (RBC) in C57BL/6J male mice treated with aerosol benzene at concentrations of 0, 1, 5, 25 ppm (time weight average, TWA). In addition, the expression of miRNA-451a or miRNA-486-5p was negatively correlated with the concentration of benzene inhalation on erythroid toxicity of C57BL/6J mice. Particularly, the decline in miRNA-451a and miRNA-486-5p expression appeared in male chronic benzene poisoning patients, and was correlated with a constant decrease in their RBC counts over the first 3 months after being diagnosed. These findings indicate that the suppression of miRNA-451a or miRNA-486-5p might be associated with the benzene-induced perturbation of erythroid cell differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]