microRNA-381-3p Confers Protection Against Ischemic Stroke Through Promoting Angiogenesis and Inhibiting Inflammation by Suppressing Cebpb and Map3k8

Non-coding RNAs and angiogenesis in cardiovascular diseases: a comprehensive review

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have key roles in the etiology of many illnesses, including heart failure, myocardial infarction, stroke, and in physiological processes like angiogenesis. In transcriptional regulatory circuits that control heart growth, signaling, and stress response, as well as remodeling in cardiac disease, ncRNAs have become important players. Studies on ncRNAs and cardiovascular disease have made great progress recently. Here, we go through the functions of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) like circular RNAs (circRNAs), and microRNAs (miRNAs) as well as long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in modulating cardiovascular disorders.

Immune pathway activation in neurons triggers neural damage after stroke

Ischemic brain injury is a severe medical condition with high incidences in elderly people without effective treatment for the resulting neural damages. Using a unilateral mouse stroke model, we analyze single-cell transcriptomes of ipsilateral and contralateral cortical penumbra regions to objectively reveal molecular events with single-cell resolution at 4 h and 1, 3, and 7 days post-injury. Here, we report that neurons are among the first cells that sense the lack of blood supplies by elevated expression of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β (C/EBPβ). To our surprise, the canonical inflammatory cytokine gene targets for C/EBPβ, including interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), are subsequently induced also in neuronal cells. Neuronal-specific silencing of C/EBPβ or IL-1β and TNF-α substantially alleviates downstream inflammatory injury responses and is profoundly neural protective. Taken together, our findings reveal a neuronal inflammatory mechanism underlying early pathological triggers of ischemic brain injury.

Identification and Validation of an Aging-Associated circRNA-miRNA-mRNA Network in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration

INTRODUCTION

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NVAMD) is a leading cause of severe vision impairment in the elderly. Aging is one of the most pivotal underlying molecular mechanisms of NVAMD.

METHODS

In this study, we identified the potential aging-related genes involved in NVAMD. Considering that noncoding RNAs are vital regulators of NVAMD progression, we further explored and constructed an aging-originated circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network of NVAMD. Differential expression of 23 aging-associated genes was identified based on sequencing data and the Human Aging Genomic Resources tool at a threshold of p < 0.05, and log2|fold change| > 1.

RESULTS

We screened 12 microRNAs (miRNAs) using public datasets and miRNet database. A total of 13 circRNAs were subsequently mined using the starBase tool. Merging these 13 circRNAs, 12 miRNAs, and 15 genes together, we obtained 281 pairs of circRNA-miRNA and 30 pairs of miRNA-mRNA.

CONCLUSION

We created an aging-related circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network, which could be a promising target for future AMD treatments.

Translatome analysis reveals microglia and astrocytes to be distinct regulators of inflammation in the hyperacute and acute phases after stroke

Neuroinflammation is a hallmark of ischemic stroke, which is a leading cause of death and long-term disability. Understanding the exact cellular signaling pathways that initiate and propagate neuroinflammation after stroke will be critical for developing immunomodulatory stroke therapies. In particular, the precise mechanisms of inflammatory signaling in the clinically relevant hyperacute period, hours after stroke, have not been elucidated. We used the RiboTag technique to obtain microglia and astrocyte-derived mRNA transcripts in a hyperacute (4 h) and acute (3 days) period after stroke, as these two cell types are key modulators of acute neuroinflammation. Microglia initiated a rapid response to stroke at 4 h by adopting an inflammatory profile associated with the recruitment of immune cells. The hyperacute astrocyte profile was marked by stress response genes and transcription factors, such as Fos and Jun, involved in pro-inflammatory pathways such as TNF-α. By 3 days, microglia shift to a proliferative state and astrocytes strengthen their inflammatory response. The astrocyte pro-inflammatory response at 3 days is partially driven by the upregulation of the transcription factors C/EBPβ, Spi1, and Rel, which comprise 25% of upregulated transcription factor-target interactions. Surprisingly, few sex differences across all groups were observed. Expression and log2 fold data for all sequenced genes are available on a user-friendly website for researchers to examine gene changes and generate hypotheses for stroke targets. Taken together, our data comprehensively describe the microglia and astrocyte-specific translatome response in the hyperacute and acute period after stroke and identify pathways critical for initiating neuroinflammation.

Gut microbiota and transcriptome dynamics in every-other-day fasting are associated with neuroprotection in rats with spinal cord injury

Introduction

Every-other-day fasting (EODF) is a classical intermittent fasting (IF) mode with neuroprotective effects that promotes motor function recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. However, its dynamic effects on the gut microbiota and spinal cord transcriptome remain unknown.

Methods

In this study, 16S rRNA sequencing and RNA-seq analysis were used to investigate the effects of ad libitum (AL) and EODF dietary modes on the structural characteristics of rat gut microbiota in rats and the spinal cord transcriptome at various time points after SCI induction.

Results

Our results showed that both dietary modes affected the bacterial community composition in SCI rats, with EODF treatment inducing and suppressing dynamic changes in the abundances of potentially anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory bacteria. Furthermore, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) enriched after EODF intervention in SCI rats were associated with various biological events, including immune inflammatory response, cell differentiation, protein modification, neural growth, and apoptosis. In particular, significant spatiotemporal differences were apparent in the DEGs associated with neuroprotection between the EODF and AL interventions. These DGEs were mainly focused on days 1, 3, and 7 after SCI. The relative abundance of certain genera was significantly correlated with DEGs associated with neuroprotective effects in the EODF-SCI group.

Discussion

Our results showed that EODF treatment may exert neuroprotective effects by modulating the transcriptome expression profile following SCI in rats. Furthermore, gut microbiota may be partially involved in mediating these effects.

Insight into the transcription factors regulating Ischemic Stroke and Glioma in Response to Shared Stimuli

Cerebral ischemic stroke and glioma are the two leading causes of patient mortality globally. Despite physiological variations, 1 in 10 people who have an ischemic stroke go on to develop brain cancer, most notably gliomas. In addition, glioma treatments have also been shown to increase the risk of ischemic strokes. Stroke occurs more frequently in cancer patients than in the general population, according to traditional literature. Unbelievably, these events share multiple pathways, but the precise mechanism underlying their co-occurrence remains unknown. Transcription factors (TFs), the main components of gene expression programmes, finally determine the fate of cells and homeostasis. Both ischemic stroke and glioma exhibit aberrant expression of a large number of TFs, which are strongly linked to the pathophysiology and progression of both diseases. The precise genomic binding locations of TFs and how TF binding ultimately relates to transcriptional regulation remain elusive despite a strong interest in understanding how TFs regulate gene expression in both stroke and glioma. As a result, the importance of continuing efforts to understand TF-mediated gene regulation is highlighted in this review, along with some of the primary shared events in stroke and glioma.

Translatome analysis reveals microglia and astrocytes to be distinct regulators of inflammation in the hyperacute and acute phases after stroke

Neuroinflammation is a hallmark of ischemic stroke, which is a leading cause of death and long-term disability. Understanding the exact cellular signaling pathways that initiate and propagate neuroinflammation after stroke will be critical for developing immunomodulatory stroke therapies. In particular, the precise mechanisms of inflammatory signaling in the clinically relevant hyperacute period, hours after stroke, have not been elucidated. We used the RiboTag technique to obtain astrocyte and microglia-derived mRNA transcripts in a hyperacute (4 hours) and acute (3 days) period after stroke, as these two cell types are key modulators of acute neuroinflammation. Microglia initiated a rapid response to stroke at 4 hours by adopting an inflammatory profile associated with the recruitment of immune cells. The hyperacute astrocyte profile was marked by stress response genes and transcription factors, such as Fos and Jun , involved in pro-inflammatory pathways such as TNF-α. By 3 days, microglia shift to a proliferative state and astrocytes strengthen their inflammatory response. The astrocyte pro-inflammatory response at 3 days is partially driven by the upregulation of the transcription factors C/EBPβ, Spi1 , and Rel , which comprise 25% of upregulated transcription factor-target interactions. Surprisingly, few sex differences across all groups were observed. Expression and log ₂ fold data for all sequenced genes are available on a user-friendly website for researchers to examine gene changes and generate hypotheses for stroke targets. Taken together our data comprehensively describe the astrocyte and microglia-specific translatome response in the hyperacute and acute period after stroke and identify pathways critical for initiating neuroinflammation.

Temporal transcriptomic changes in microRNAs involved in the host immune response and metabolism during Neospora caninum infection

BACKGROUND

Neospora caninum infection is a major cause of abortion in cattle, which results in serious economic losses to the cattle industry. However, there are no effective drugs or vaccines for the control of N. caninum infections. There is increasing evidence that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in many physiological and pathological processes, and dysregulated expression of host miRNAs and the biological implications of this have been reported for infections by various protozoan parasites. However, to our knowledge, there is presently no published information on host miRNA expression during N. caninum infection.

METHODS

The expression profiles of miRNAs were investigated by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) in caprine endometrial epithelial cells (EECs) infected with N. caninum at 24 h post infection (pi) and 48 hpi, and the functions of differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs were predicted by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses. The transcriptome data were validated by using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. One of the upregulated DEmiRNAs, namely chi-miR-146a, was selected to study the effect of DEmiRNAs on the propagation of N. caninum tachyzoites in caprine EECs.

RESULTS

RNA-seq showed 18 (17 up- and one downregulated) and 79 (54 up- and 25 downregulated) DEmiRNAs at 24 hpi and 48 hpi, respectively. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis of 13 randomly selected DEmiRNAs (10 up- and three downregulated miRNAs) confirmed the validity of the RNA-seq data. A total of 7835 messenger RNAs were predicted to be potential targets for 66 DEmiRNAs, and GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of these predicted targets revealed that DEmiRNAs altered by N. caninum infection may be involved in host immune responses (e.g. Fc gamma R-mediated phagocytosis, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway, transforming growth factor-β signaling pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway) and metabolic pathways (e.g. lysine degradation, insulin signaling pathway, AMP-activated protein kinase signaling pathway, Rap1 signaling pathway, calcium signaling pathway). Upregulated chi-miR-146a was found to promote N. caninum propagation in caprine EECs.

CONCLUSIONS

This is, to our knowledge, the first report on the expression profiles of host miRNAs during infection with N. caninum, and shows that chi-miR-146a may promote N. caninum propagation in host cells. The novel findings of the present study should help to elucidate the interactions between host cells and N. caninum.

A systematic review of the research progress of non-coding RNA in neuroinflammation and immune regulation in cerebral infarction/ischemia-reperfusion injury

Cerebral infarction/ischemia-reperfusion injury is currently the disease with the highest mortality and disability rate of cardiovascular disease. Current studies have shown that nerve cells die of ischemia several hours after ischemic stroke, which activates the innate immune response in the brain, promotes the production of neurotoxic substances such as inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, reactive oxygen species and − nitrogen oxide, and mediates the destruction of blood-brain barrier and the occurrence of a series of inflammatory cascade reactions. Meanwhile, the expression of adhesion molecules in cerebral vascular endothelial cells increased, and immune inflammatory cells such as polymorphonuclear neutrophils, lymphocytes and mononuclear macrophages passed through vascular endothelial cells and entered the brain tissue. These cells recognize antigens exposed by the central nervous system in the brain, activate adaptive immune responses, and further mediate secondary neuronal damage, aggravating neurological deficits. In order to reduce the above-mentioned damage, the body induces peripheral immunosuppressive responses through negative feedback, which increases the incidence of post-stroke infection. This process is accompanied by changes in the immune status of the ischemic brain tissue in local and systemic systems. A growing number of studies implicate noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) as novel epigenetic regulatory elements in the dysfunction of various cell subsets in the neurovascular unit after cerebral infarction/ischemia-reperfusion injury. In particular, recent studies have revealed advances in ncRNA biology that greatly expand the understanding of epigenetic regulation of immune responses and inflammation after cerebral infarction/ischemia-reperfusion injury. Identification of aberrant expression patterns and associated biological effects of ncRNAs in patients revealed their potential as novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for cerebral infarction/ischemia-reperfusion injury. Therefore, this review systematically presents recent studies on the involvement of ncRNAs in cerebral infarction/ischemia-reperfusion injury and neuroimmune inflammatory cascades, and elucidates the functions and mechanisms of cerebral infarction/ischemia-reperfusion-related ncRNAs, providing new opportunities for the discovery of disease biomarkers and targeted therapy. Furthermore, this review introduces clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Display as a possible transformative tool for studying lncRNAs. In the future, ncRNA is expected to be used as a target for diagnosing cerebral infarction/ischemia-reperfusion injury, judging its prognosis and treatment, thereby significantly improving the prognosis of patients.

CircTRHDE knockdown protects WI-38 cells against LPS-induced inflammatory injury

BACKGROUND

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been reported to be involved in the progression of infantile pneumonia. Here, we investigated the function of circTRHDE in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cell inflammatory injury to evaluate its role in infantile pneumonia progression.

METHODS

The circTRHDE, microRNA (miR)-381-3p and TNF-receptor associated factor 3 (TRAF3) expression were detected by quantitative real-time PCR. LPS-induced WI-38 cells were used to construct an inflammatory injury model. Cell viability, inflammation and apoptosis were measured by cell counting kit assay, ELISA assay and flow cytometry. Caspase3 activity, MDA level and SOD activity were analysed to assess cell apoptosis and oxidative stress. Protein levels were determined using western blot analysis. The interaction between miR-381-3p and circTRHDE or TRAF3 was confirmed by dual-luciferase activity assay and RNA pull-down assay.

RESULTS

CircTRHDE had increased expression in infantile pneumonia patients and LPS-induced WI-38 cells. LPS treatment inhibited WI-38 cell viability while promoting inflammation, apoptosis and oxidative stress. However, knockdown of circTRHDE remitted LPS-triggered WI-38 cell injury. CircTRHDE could sponge miR-381-3p to positively regulate TRAF3 expression. MiR-381-3p suppressed LPS-induced WI-38 cell inflammatory injury, and this effect was revoked by TRAF3 overexpression. Also, LPS-induced WI-38 cell inflammatory injury restrained by circTRHDE knockdown also were reversed by miR-318-3p inhibitor or TRAF3 overexpression.

CONCLUSION

Our findings demonstrated that circTRHDE might be a target for infantile pneumonia treatment, which relieved LPS-induced cell inflammatory injury by the regulation of the miR-318-3p/TRAF3 axis.

Overexpression of microRNA-381-3p ameliorates hypoxia/ischemia-induced neuronal damage and microglial inflammation via regulating the C-C chemokine receptor type 2 /nuclear transcription factor-kappa B axis

microRNAs, as small endogenous RNAs, influence umpteen sophisticated cellular biological functions regarding neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular diseases. Here, we interrogated miR-381-3p’s influence on BV2 activation and neurotoxicity in ischemic and hypoxic environment. Oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) was adopted to induce microglial activation and HT-22 neuron damage. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was taken to check miR-381-3p expression in OGD-elicited BV2 cells and HT-22 neurons. It transpired that miR-381-3p expression was lowered in BV2 cells and HT-22 cells elicited by OGD. miR-381-3p up-regulation remarkably hampered inflammatory mediator expression in BV2 cells induced by OGD and weakened HT22 neuron apoptosis. In vivo, miR-381-3p expression was abated in HI rats’ ischemic lesions, and miR-381-3p up-regulation could ameliorate inflammation and neuron apoptosis in their brain. C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2) was identified as the downstream target of miR-381-3p, and miR-381-3p suppressed the CCR2/NF-κB pathway to mitigate microglial activation and neurotoxicity. Therefore, we believed that miR-381-3p overexpression exerts anti-inflammation and anti-apoptosis in ischemic brain injury by targeting CCR2

Identification of Regulatory Factors and Prognostic Markers in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive degeneration of motor neurons, leading to muscle atrophy, paralysis and even death. Immune disorder, redox imbalance, autophagy disorder, and iron homeostasis disorder have been shown to play critical roles in the pathogenesis of ALS. However, the exact pathogenic genes and the underlying mechanism of ALS remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to screen for pathogenic regulatory genes and prognostic markers in ALS using bioinformatics methods. We used Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), and expression regulation network analysis to investigate the function of differentially expressed genes in the nerve tissue, lymphoid tissue, and whole blood of patients with ALS. Our results showed that the up-regulated genes were mainly involved in immune regulation and inflammation, and the down-regulated genes were mainly involved in energy metabolism and redox processes. Eleven up-regulated transcription factors (CEBPB, CEBPD, STAT5A, STAT6, RUNX1, REL, SMAD3, GABPB2, FOXO1, PAX6, and FOXJ1) and one down-regulated transcription factor (NOG) in the nerve tissue of patients with ALS likely play important regulatory roles in the pathogenesis of ALS. Based on construction and evaluation of the ALS biomarker screening model, cluster analysis of the identified characteristic genes, univariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, and the random survival forest algorithm, we found that MAEA, TPST1, IFNGR2, and ALAS2 may be prognostic markers regarding the survival of ALS patients. High expression of MAEA, TPST1, and IFNGR2 and low expression of ALAS2 in ALS patients may be closely related to short survival of ALS patients. Taken together, our results indicate that immune disorders, inflammation, energy metabolism, and redox imbalance may be the important pathogenic factors of ALS. CEBPB, CEBPD, STAT5A, STAT6, RUNX1, REL, SMAD3, GABPB2, FOXO1, PAX6, FOXJ1, and NOG may be important regulatory factors linked to the pathogenesis of ALS. MAEA, TPST1, IFNGR2, and ALAS2 are potential important ALS prognostic markers. Our findings provide evidence on the pathogenesis of ALS, potential targets for the development of new drugs for ALS, and important markers for predicting ALS prognosis.

MicroRNA-381-3p signatures as a diagnostic marker in patients with sepsis and modulates sepsis-steered cardiac damage and inflammation by binding HMGB1

Immune response imbalance and cardiac dysfunction caused by sepsis are the main reasons for death in sepsis. This study aimed to confirm the expression and diagnostic possibility of microRNA-381-3p (miR-381-3p) and its mechanism in sepsis. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) were used to reveal the levels and clinical significance of miR-381-3p. Pearson correlation was conducted to provide the correlations between miR-381-3p and several indexes of sepsis. The H9c2 cell models were constructed by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) was applied to establish the Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat models. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and flow cytometry were the methods to detect the cell viability and death rate of H9c2. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to evaluate the concentration of inflammatory cytokines. The target gene of miR-381-3p was validated via the luciferase report system. The low expression of miR-381-3p was found in the serum of patients with sepsis. The lessened miR-381-3p could be a marker in the discrimination of sepsis patients. Overexpression of miR-381-3p could repress the mRNA expression of HMGB1, inhibit the cell apoptosis and inflammatory response, and motivate the viability of sepsis cells. At the same time, enhanced miR-381-3p promoted the inhibition of inflammation and cardiac dysfunction in the rat model of sepsis. Collectively, reduced levels of serum miR-381-3p can be used as an index to detect sepsis patients. MiR-381-3p restored the inflammatory response and myocardial dysfunction caused by sepsis via HMGB1.

Inhibition of miR-145-5p Reduces Spinal Cord Injury-Induced Inflammatory and Oxidative Stress Responses via Affecting Nurr1-TNF-α Signaling Axis

Inflammation and oxidative stress feature prominently in the secondary spinal cord injury (SCI). The present work is targeted at deciphering miR-145-5p's role and underlying mechanism in SCI. We randomly divided Sprague-Dawley rats into SCI group and control group. Microglial BV2 cells were separated into control group and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was carried out for determining the concentrations of interleukin-6, interleukin-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). The expressions of malondialdehyde, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and reactive oxygen species were also detected. TNF-α, miR-145-5p, and Nurr1 expressions were examined by western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Western blotting and dual-luciferase reporter gene assay were conducted to examine the regulating impact that miR-145-5p had on Nurr1 and TNF-α. MiR-145-5p was remarkably upregulated in the SCI rat model's spinal cord tissues and BV2 cells treated with LPS, and Nurr1 expression was dramatically lowered. Furthermore, miR-145-5p inhibition markedly repressed inflammatory and oxidative stress responses. Moreover, it was proved that Nurr1 was a direct miR-145-5p target. The inhibition of miR-145-5p helped promote Nurr1 expression to block TNF-α signaling. MiR-145-5p inhibition mitigates inflammation and oxidative stress via targeting Nurr1 to regulate TNF-α signaling, which ameliorates SCI.

MiRNA: Involvement of the MAPK Pathway in Ischemic Stroke. A Promising Therapeutic Target

Ischemic stroke (IS) is a cerebrovascular disease with a high rate of disability and mortality. It is classified as the second leading cause of death that arises from the sudden occlusion of small vessels in the brain with consequent lack of oxygen and nutrients in the brain tissue. Following an acute ischemic event, the cascade of events promotes the activation of multiple signaling pathways responsible for irreversible neuronal damage. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway transmits signals from the cell membrane to the nucleus in response to different stimuli, regulating proliferation, differentiation, inflammation, and apoptosis. Several lines of evidence showed that MAPK is an important regulator of ischemic and hemorrhagic cerebral vascular disease; indeed, it can impair blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity and exacerbate neuroinflammation through the release of pro-inflammatory mediators implementing neurovascular damage after ischemic stroke. This review aims to illustrate the miRNAs involved in the regulation of MAPK in IS, in order to highlight possible targets for potential neuroprotective treatments. We also discuss some miRNAs (miR), including miR-145, miR-137, miR-493, and miR-126, that are important as they modulate processes such as apoptosis, neuroinflammation, neurogenesis, and angiogenesis through the regulation of the MAPK pathway in cerebral IS. To date, limited drug therapies are available for the treatment of IS; therefore, it is necessary to implement preclinical and clinical studies aimed at discovering novel therapeutic approaches to minimize post-stroke neurological damage.

Bioinformatics-Based Analysis of the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA Network and TF Regulatory Network to Explore the Regulation Mechanism in Spinal Cord Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury

Background

Spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury (SCII) is a catastrophic complication involved with cardiovascular, spine, and thoracic surgeries and can lead to paraplegia. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanism of SCII remain ill-defined.

Methods

Expression profiling (GSE138966) data were obtained from GEO database. Then, differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs and DEmRNAs were screened out with p < 0.05, and | fold change| > 1.5. Aberrant miRNAs expression in SCII was obtained from PubMed. Functional enrichment analysis of overlapping DEmRNAs between predicted mRNAs in miRDB database and DEmRNAs obtained from GSE138966 was performed using cluster Profiler R package. The lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network was established in light of ceRNA theory. The key lncRNAs in the ceRNA network were identified by topological analysis. Subsequently, key lncRNAs related ceRNA-pathway network and transcription factors (TFs)-mRNAs network were constructed. Simultaneously, the expression levels of hub genes were measured via qRT-PCR.

Results

The results in this study indicated that 76 miRNAs, 1373 lncRNAs, and 4813 mRNAs were differentially expressed in SCII. A SCII-related ceRNA network was constructed with 154 ncRNAs, 139 mRNAs, and 51 miRNAs. According topological analysis, six lncRNAs (NONRATT019236.2, NONRATT009530.2, NONRATT026999.2, TCONS_00032391, NONRATT023112.2, and NONRATT021956.2) were selected to establish the ceRNA-pathway network, and then two candidate hub lncRNAs (NONRATT009530.2 and NONRATT026999.2) were identified. Subsequently, two lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory axes were identified. NONRATT026999.2 and NONRATT009530.2 might involve SCII via miR-20b-5p/Map3k8 axis based on the complex ceRNA network. SP1 and Hnf4a acting as important TFs might regulate Map3k8. Furthermore, qRT-PCR results showed that the NONRATT009530.2, NONRATT026999.2, Map3k8, Hfn4a, and SP1 were significantly upregulated in SCII of rats, while the miR-20b-5p was downregulated.

Conclusion

Our results offer a new insight to understand the ceRNA regulation mechanism in SCII and identify highlighted lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA axes and two key TFs as potential targets for prevention and treatment of SCII.

Neuroprotective effects of microRNA-140-5p on ischemic stroke in mice via regulation of the TLR4/NF-κB axis

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Ischemic stroke is one of the main causes of death worldwide and permanent global disability. On the basis of existing literature data, the study was carried out in an effort to explore how miR-140-5p affects ischemic stroke and whether the mechanism relates to toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB).

METHODS

Firstly, middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was performed to establish mouse models of ischemic stroke in vivo, while primary neurons were exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) to set up an ischemic stroke model in vitro. RT-qPCR was then applied to detect the miR-140-5p expression patterns, whereas Western blot was adopted to detect the expression patterns of TLR4, NF-κB, and apoptosis-related factors. In addition, based gain-function of experiments using miR-140-5p mimic and TLR4 over-expression plasmid, neurological function score, TTC staining, TUNEL staining, as well as flow cytometry were carried out to evaluate the effects of miR-140-5p and TLR4 on MCAO mice and OGD neurons. Moreover, dual-luciferase reporter assay was applied to validate the targeting relationship between miR-140-5p and TLR4.

RESULTS

Initial findings revealed that miR-140-5p was poorly-expressed, while TLR4 was highly-expressed in ischemic stroke. It was verified that miR-140-5p targeted TLR4 and downregulated its expression. MiR-140-5p over-expression was observed to inhibit the apoptosis of neurons under OGD exposure and restrain the progression of ischemic stroke, while TLR4 over-expression promoted the apoptosis and disease progression. Besides, miR-140-5p over-expression led to a decrease in NF-κB protein levels, which were increased by TLR4 over-expression.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, our data indicates that miR-140-5p over-expression may be instrumental for the therapeutic targeting of ischemic stroke by alleviating neuron injury with the involvement of the TLR4/NF-κB axis.