Circulating long noncoding RNA DKFZP434I0714 predicts adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with end-stage renal disease

Role of LncRNA in Pathogenesis, Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a clinical syndrome of metabolic disorder caused by progressive kidney impairment for more than 3 months. CKD has become a global public health problem due to its high morbidity and mortality, which is difficult to be cured for most patients. The pathogenesis of CKD is still unclear, which is closely related to glomerulosclerosis, kidney tubular injury and kidney fibrosis. LncRNA is a non-coding RNA with a length of more than 200 nucleotides. It not only participates in intracellular transcriptional regulation, post-transcriptional regulation and epigenetic activities, but also forms a regulatory network together with miRNA and mRNA, to further conduct the reticular regulation in cells. Recently, it has been found that lncRNA participates in pathophysiological mechanism of CKD by regulating glomerulosclerosis, kidney tubular injury and kidney fibrosis. This has also become a new direction of lncRNA in early diagnosis and targeted therapy of CKD.

Elevated circulating LncRNA NORAD fosters endothelial cell growth and averts ferroptosis by modulating the miR-106a/CCND1 axis in CAD patients

Atherosclerosis is a leading cause of cardiovascular diseases, characterized by endothelial dysfunction and lipid accumulation. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as key regulators of endothelial cell behavior. This study aimed to investigate the role of lncRNA NORAD in endothelial cell proliferation and as a potential therapeutic target for atherosclerosis. A total of 75 CAD patients and 76 controls were recruited, and plasma NORAD levels were measured using qRT-PCR. HUVECs were transfected with si-NORAD to evaluate its effects on cell cycle, proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. Plasma NORAD levels were significantly elevated in CAD patients. The NORAD-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA regulatory network was constructed based on GEO database, and G1/S-specific cyclin-D1 (CCND1) was identified as one of the hub factors. NORAD deficiency suppressed cell migration and induced G1 cell cycle arrest in HUVECs by downregulating CCND1 in vitro. NORAD upregulated CCND1 in HUVECs via sponging miR-106a that inhibited cell migration. The dual-luciferase assay confirmed the direct targeting of miR-106a by NORAD, and overexpression of miR-106a inhibited HUVEC proliferation and migration. Si-NORAD transfection resulted in induced early apoptosis, increased intracellular ROS levels, decreased GSH levels, and reduced mitochondrial membrane potential. Additionally, si-NORAD decreased the expression of GPX4, FTH1, KEAP1, NCOA4, and Nrf2, while increasing Xct levels, confirming the involvement of ferroptosis. Our findings reveal that NORAD plays a critical role in endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis, and its silencing induces ferroptosis. The regulatory network involving NORAD, miR-106a, and their target genes provides a potential therapeutic avenue for atherosclerosis.

Modulating the Expression of Exercise-induced lncRNAs: Implications for Cardiovascular Disease Progression

Recent research shows exercise is good for heart health, emphasizing the importance of physical activity. Sedentary behavior increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, while exercise can help prevent and treat it. Additionally, physical exercise can modulate the expression of lncRNAs, influencing cardiovascular disease progression. Therefore, understanding this relationship could help identify prospective biomarkers and therapeutic targets pertaining to cardiovascular ailments. This review has underscored recent advancements concerning the potential biomarkers of lncRNAs in cardiovascular diseases, while also summarizing existing knowledge regarding dysregulated lncRNAs and their plausible molecular mechanisms. Additionally, we have contributed novel perspectives on the underlying mechanisms of lncRNAs, which hold promise as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for cardiovascular conditions. The knowledge imparted in this review may prove valuable in guiding the design of future investigations and furthering the understanding of lncRNAs as diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic biomarkers for cardiovascular diseases.

Long noncoding RNA: An emerging diagnostic and therapeutic target in kidney diseases

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have critical roles in the development of many diseases including kidney disease. An increasing number of studies have shown that lncRNAs are involved in kidney development and that their dysregulation can result in distinct disease processes, including acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, and renal cell carcinoma. Understanding the roles of lncRNAs in kidney disease may provide new diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities in the clinic. This review provides an overview of lncRNA characteristics, and biological function and discusses specific studies that provide insight into the function and potential application of lncRNAs in kidney disease treatment.

LncRNA ANRIL-mediated miR-181b-5p/S1PR1 axis is involved in the progression of uremic cardiomyopathy through activating T cells

This study aimed to explore the regulatory role of lncRNA ANRIL/miR-181b-5p/S1PR1 in UC. UC mouse model was established by 5/6th nephrectomy. We detected body weight, serum levels of renal function and inflammatory factors (biochemical analyzer/ELISA), and cardiac parameters (echocardiography). HE and Masson staining showed the pathological changes and fibrosis in myocardial and nephridial tissues. The expression of ANRIL, miR-181b-5p, and S1PR1 were detected by qRT-PCR or Western blot/immunofluorescence. T cells activation was analyzed by Flow cytometry. ANRIL/S1PR1 were up-regulated and miR-181b-5p was down-regulated in UC mice. ANRIL silencing up-regulated miR-181b-5p and down-regulated S1PR1 (a target of miR-181b-5p). ANRIL silencing increased the body weight, recovered renal function [decreased blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (Scr)] and cardiac function [decreased left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), LV end-systolic diameter (LVESD), LV systolic anterior wall thickness (LVAWS), LV end-diastolic anterior wall thickness (LVAWD), myocardial performance index (MPI), and isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT); increased LV ejection fraction (LVEF), LVEF/MPI, fractional shortening (FS), and E- and A-waves (E/A)], inhibited the inflammation [decreased interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α], and relieved pathological injuries and fibrosis. ANRIL silencing also recovered the viability and inhibited the inflammation of activated T cells in vitro, and inhibited T cell activation in UC mice in vivo. In addition, miR-181b-5p overexpression exhibited same effects with ANRIL silencing in UC. ANRIL silencing inhibited T cell activation through regulating miR-181b-5p/S1PR1, contributing to the remission of UC.

Kidney diseases and long non-coding RNAs in the limelight

The most extensively and well-investigated sequences in the human genome are protein-coding genes, while large numbers of non-coding sequences exist in the human body and are even more diverse with more potential roles than coding sequences. With the unveiling of non-coding RNA research, long-stranded non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a class of transcripts >200 nucleotides in length primarily expressed in the nucleus and rarely in the cytoplasm, have drawn our attention. LncRNAs are involved in various levels of gene regulatory processes, including but not limited to promoter activity, epigenetics, translation and transcription efficiency, and intracellular transport. They are also dysregulated in various pathophysiological processes, especially in diseases and cancers involving genomic imprinting. In recent years, numerous studies have linked lncRNAs to the pathophysiology of various kidney diseases. This review summarizes the molecular mechanisms involved in lncRNAs, their impact on kidney diseases, and associated complications, as well as the value of lncRNAs as emerging biomarkers for the prevention and prognosis of kidney diseases, suggesting their potential as new therapeutic tools.

Epigenetic regulation in cardiovascular disease: mechanisms and advances in clinical trials

Epigenetics is closely related to cardiovascular diseases. Genome-wide linkage and association analyses and candidate gene approaches illustrate the multigenic complexity of cardiovascular disease. Several epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, histone modification, and noncoding RNA, which are of importance for cardiovascular disease development and regression. Targeting epigenetic key enzymes, especially the DNA methyltransferases, histone methyltransferases, histone acetylases, histone deacetylases and their regulated target genes, could represent an attractive new route for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Herein, we summarize the knowledge on epigenetic history and essential regulatory mechanisms in cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, we discuss the preclinical studies and drugs that are targeted these epigenetic key enzymes for cardiovascular diseases therapy. Finally, we conclude the clinical trials that are going to target some of these processes.

Predictive value of using plasma long non-coding RNAs ANRIL and HOXA11-AS for in-stent restenosis

In-stent restenosis (ISR) can pose serious challenges for cardiologists following coronary stent implantation. Early identification of patients at high risk of ISR is considered to be effective for its prevention. However, factors that can reliably predict the risk of ISR remain elusive at present. The present study aimed to investigate the possible association between plasma long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) levels and ISR. A total of 410 patients with single-vessel lesion who received drug-eluting stents (DES) were included in the present study. After 12-36 months of follow-up, coronary angiography was performed and ISR was defined as >50% diameter stenosis at follow-up. RT-qPCR was used to measure lncRNA expression. Expression of the lncRNA RNA antisense non-coding RNA at the INK4 locus (ANRIL) was found to be upregulated whereas the lncRNA homeobox A11 antisense (HOXA11-AS) was downregulated in the plasma of patients with ISR compared with that from patients without ISR (P<0.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed that ANRIL [odds ratio (OR)=2.95; 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.68-8.08] was an independent risk factor for ISR, whilst HOXA11-AS (OR=0.58; 95% CI=0.48-0.71) was found to be an independent protective factor for ISR. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis demonstrated that high ANRIL expression [area under the ROC (auROC)=0.755; 95% CI=0.702-0.803] and low HOXA11-AS levels (auROC=0.712; 95% CI=0.657-0.763) predicted a high risk for ISR, and the combined score of ANRIL and HOXA11-AS (auROC=0.844; 95% CI=0.798-0.884) was more efficient at predicting ISR than either ANRIL or HOXA11-AS alone (P<0.001). In conclusion, increased ANRIL and decreased HOXA11-AS expressions were associated with ISR. However, combined ANRIL and HOXA11-AS plasma levels proved to be more effective at predicting ISR compared with either ANRIL or HOXA11-AS alone, suggesting that the multiplex detection of lncRNAs could be used to predict ISR in the future.

Uncovering Potential lncRNAs and mRNAs in the Progression From Acute Myocardial Infarction to Myocardial Fibrosis to Heart Failure

Background: Morbidity and mortality of heart failure (HF) post-myocardial infarction (MI) remain elevated. The aim of this study was to find potential long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and mRNAs in the progression from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) to myocardial fibrosis (MF) to HF.

Methods: Firstly, blood samples from AMI, MF, and HF patients were used for RNA sequencing. Secondly, differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs were obtained in MF vs. AMI and HF vs. MF, followed by functional analysis of shared differentially expressed mRNAs between two groups. Thirdly, interaction networks of lncRNA-nearby targeted mRNA and lncRNA-co-expressed mRNA were constructed in MF vs. AMI and HF vs. MF. Finally, expression validation and diagnostic capability analysis of selected lncRNAs and mRNAs were performed.

Results: Several lncRNA-co-expressed/nearby targeted mRNA pairs including AC005392.3/AC007278.2-IL18R1, AL356356.1/AL137145.2-PFKFB3, and MKNK1-AS1/LINC01127-IL1R2 were identified. Several signaling pathways including TNF and cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction, fructose and mannose metabolism and HIF-1, hematopoietic cell lineage and fluid shear stress, and atherosclerosis and estrogen were selected. IL1R2, IRAK3, LRG1, and PLAC4 had a potential diagnostic value for both AMI and HF.

Conclusion: Identified AC005392.3/AC007278.2-IL18R1, AL356356.1/AL137145.2-PFKFB3, and MKNK1-AS1/LINC01127-IL1R2 lncRNA-co-expressed/nearby targeted mRNA pairs may play crucial roles in the development of AMI, MF, and HF.

Non-Coding RNAs in Kidney Diseases: The Long and Short of Them

Recent progress in genomic research has highlighted the genome to be much more transcribed than expected. The formerly so-called junk DNA encodes a miscellaneous group of largely unknown RNA transcripts, which contain the long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) family. lncRNAs are instrumental in gene regulation. Moreover, understanding their biological roles in the physiopathology of many diseases, including renal, is a new challenge. lncRNAs regulate the effects of microRNAs (miRNA) on mRNA expression. Understanding the complex crosstalk between lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA is one of the main challenges of modern molecular biology. This review aims to summarize the role of lncRNA on kidney diseases, the molecular mechanisms involved, and their function as emerging prognostic biomarkers for both acute and chronic kidney diseases. Finally, we will also outline new therapeutic opportunities to diminish renal injury by targeting lncRNA with antisense oligonucleotides.

Long non-coding RNAs: A double-edged sword in aging kidney and renal disease

Aging as one of intrinsic biological processes is a risk factor for many chronic diseases. Kidney disease is a global problem and health care burden worldwide. The diagnosis of kidney disease is currently based on serum creatinine and urea levels. Novel biomarkers may improve diagnostic accuracy, thereby allowing early prevention and treatment. Over the past few years, advances in genome analyses have identified an emerging class of noncoding RNAs that play critical roles in the regulation of gene expression and epigenetic reprogramming. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are pervasively transcribed in the genome and could bind DNA, RNA and protein. Emerging evidence has demonstrated that lncRNAs played an important role in all stages of kidney disease. To date, only some lncRNAs were well identified and characterized, but the complexity of multilevel regulation of transcriptional programs involved in these processes remains undefined. In this review, we summarized the lncRNA expression profiling of large-scale identified lncRNAs on kidney diseases including acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, diabetic nephropathy and kidney transplantation. We further discussed a number of annotated lncRNAs linking with complex etiology of kidney diseases. Finally, several lncRNAs were highlighted as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Targeting lncRNAs may represent a precise therapeutic strategy for progressive renal fibrosis.

Construction and Validation of Predictive Model to Identify Critical Genes Associated with Advanced Kidney Disease

Background

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is characterized by progressive renal function loss, which may finally lead to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The study is aimed at identifying crucial genes related to CKD progressive and constructing a disease prediction model to investigate risk factors.

Methods

GSE97709 and GSE37171 datasets were downloaded from the GEO database including peripheral blood samples from subjects with CKD, ESRD, and healthy controls. Differential expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and functional enrichment analysis. Machine learning algorithm-based prediction model was constructed to identify crucial functional feature genes related to ESRD.

Results

A total of 76 DEGs were screened from CDK vs. normal samples while 10,114 DEGs were identified from ESRD vs. CDK samples. For numerous genes related to ESRD, several GO biological terms and 141 signaling pathways were identified including markedly upregulated olfactory transduction and downregulated platelet activation pathway. The DEGs were clustering in three modules according to WGCNA access, namely, ME1, ME2, and ME3. By construction of the XGBoost model and dataset validation, we screened cohorts of genes associated with progressive CKD, such as FZD10, FOXD4, and FAM215A. FZD10 represented the highest score (F score = 21) in predictive model.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrated that FZD10, FOXD4, PPP3R1, and UCP2 might be critical genes in CKD progression.

Identification of candidate lncRNA biomarkers for renal fibrosis: A systematic review

AIMS

To combine the results of dysregulated lncRNAs in individual renal fibrosis lncRNA expression profiling studies and to identify potential lncRNA biomarkers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We systematically searched three databases to identify lncRNA expression studies of renal fibrosis in animal models and humans. The lncRNA expression data were extracted from 24 included studies, and a lncRNA vote-counting strategy was applied to identify significant lncRNA biomarkers. The lncLocator algorithm was utilized to predict the potential subcellular localization of these lncRNAs. The predicted targets of the identified lncRNA biomarkers were obtained by searching LncBase v.2 and catRAPID. Finally, GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analyses were performed.

KEY FINDINGS

We recognized a significant lncRNA signature of 95 differentially expressed lncRNAs in 731 samples from rodent models of renal fibrosis and CKD patients, among which TCONS_01181049 and TCONS_01496394 were commonly upregulated in both urine and renal tissues, while lncRNA-Cancer Susceptibility Candidate 2 was downregulated in both blood and renal tissues. About 73.33% dysregulated lncRNAs in renal fibrosis animal models and 81.82% dysregulated lncRNAs in CKD patients were predicted to be localized to the cytoplasm. The most relevant biological processes and molecular functions associated with these lncRNAs were mRNA processing and RNA binding.

SIGNIFICANCE

The present systematic review identified 95 significantly dysregulated lncRNAs from 24 studies and future investigations should focus on exploring their potential effects on renal fibrosis and their clinical utility as biomarkers or therapeutic targets.

Fibroblast-enriched endoplasmic reticulum protein TXNDC5 promotes pulmonary fibrosis by augmenting TGFβ signaling through TGFBR1 stabilization

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a major public health problem with limited therapeutic options. There is a clear need to identify novel mediators of PF to develop effective therapeutics. Here we show that an ER protein disulfide isomerase, thioredoxin domain containing 5 (TXNDC5), is highly upregulated in the lung tissues from both patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and a mouse model of bleomycin (BLM)-induced PF. Global deletion of Txndc5 markedly reduces the extent of PF and preserves lung function in mice following BLM treatment. Mechanistic investigations demonstrate that TXNDC5 promotes fibrogenesis by enhancing TGFβ1 signaling through direct binding with and stabilization of TGFBR1 in lung fibroblasts. Moreover, TGFβ1 stimulation is shown to upregulate TXNDC5 via ER stress/ATF6-dependent transcriptional control in lung fibroblasts. Inducing fibroblast-specific deletion of Txndc5 mitigates the progression of BLM-induced PF and lung function deterioration. Targeting TXNDC5, therefore, could be a novel therapeutic approach against PF.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a major public health problem with unclear mechanism and limited therapeutic options. Here the authors show that a fibroblast-enriched endoplasmic reticulum protein, TXNDC5, promotes pulmonary fibrosis by stabilizing TGFBR1 and show the potential of TXNDC5 as a therapeutic target against pulmonary fibrosis.

The mechanisms of lncRNA GAS5 in cardiovascular cells and its potential as novel therapeutic target

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a large class of non (protein)-coding RNAs, which are longer beyond 200 nucleotides. LncRNA GAS5 is widely considered as a tumour suppressor in cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell migration and invasion of tumour cells. Recently, a growing body of evidences indicated that GAS5 was also widely involved in the pathologic process of cardiovascular cells, including regulation of apoptosis and inflammatory injury of cardiomyocytes; proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy and angiogenesis of endothelial cells; and proliferation, migration, apoptosis and differentiation of VSMCs. In this regard, we summarised current studies of GAS5 in cardiovascular cells, which shed light on not only our understanding of the mechanisms of GAS5 in cardiovascular cells but also understanding of the potential of GAS5 as novel therapeutic target.

Expedition to the missing link: Long noncoding RNAs in cardiovascular diseases

With the advances in deep sequencing-based transcriptome profiling technology, it is now known that human genome is transcribed more pervasively than previously thought. Up to 90% of the human DNA is transcribed, and a large proportion of the human genome is transcribed as long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), a heterogenous group of non-coding transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides. Emerging evidence suggests that lncRNAs are functional and contribute to the complex regulatory networks involved in cardiovascular development and diseases. In this article, we will review recent evidence on the roles of lncRNAs in the biological processes of cardiovascular development and disorders. The potential applications of lncRNAs as biomarkers and targets for therapeutics are also discussed.

The functional interplay of lncRNA EGOT and HuR regulates hypoxia-induced autophagy in renal tubular cells

Autophagy, an important cellular homeostatic mechanism regulates cell survival under stress and protects against acute kidney injury. However, the role of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) in autophagy regulation in renal tubular cells (HK-2) is unclear. The study was aimed to understand the importance of lncRNA in hypoxia-induced autophagy in HK-2 cells. LncRNA eosinophil granule ontogeny transcript (EGOT) was identified as autophagy-associated lncRNA under hypoxia. The lncRNA EGOT expression was significantly downregulated in renal tubular cells during hypoxia-induced autophagy. Gain- and loss-of-EGOT functional studies revealed that EGOT overexpression reduced autophagy by downregulation of ATG7, ATG16L1, LC3II expressions and LC 3 puncta while EGOT knockdown reversed the suppression of autophagy. Importantly, RNA-binding protein, (ELAVL1)/Hu antigen R (HuR) binds and stabilizes the EGOT expression under normoxia and ATG7/16L1 expressions under hypoxia. Furthermore, HuR mediated stabilization of ATG7/16L1 expressions under hypoxia causes a decline in EGOT levels and thereby promotes autophagy. Altogether, the study first reveals the functional interplay of lncRNA EGOT and HuR on the posttranscriptional regulation of the ATG7/16L1 expressions. Thus, the HuR/EGOT/ATG7/16L1 axis is crucial for hypoxia-induced autophagy in renal tubular cells.

Long non-coding RNA NEAT1 inhibits oxidative stress-induced vascular endothelial cell injury by activating the miR-181d-5p/CDKN3 axis

Endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction induces atherosclerotic coronary heart disease (CHD) development. Recent studies demonstrated that lncRNA NEAT1 mediates multiple biological functions of cells. How NEAT1 regulates EC function is still unclear, so this study explored the role and mechanism of NEAT1 in oxidative stress-induced ECs. The levels of NEAT1 and miR-181d-5p were measured in serum samples from ApoE-/- mice and t-BHP-treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by qRT-PCR. The potential role of NEAT1 in viability, migration and apoptosis was analyzed by CCK-8, cell metastasis, flow cytometry, dual-luciferase reporter, RNA immunoprecipitation and Western blot assays using HUVECs overexpressing NEAT1. The expression of NEAT1 was increased, but miR-181d-5p expression was decreased in serum samples from both ApoE-/- mice and t-BHP-treated HUVECs. Overexpression of NEAT1 increased viability, migration and CDKN3 expression but decreased apoptotic rates, caspase-3 activity and miR-181d-5p expression in HUVECs. In addition, NEAT1 acted as a promoter of the proangiogenic capacity of HUVECs by targeting miR-181d-5p/CDKN3. Altogether, these findings indicate that NEAT1 may exert a protective effect on HUVECs by regulating the miR-181d-5p/CDKN3A axis.

Aberrant expression of long noncoding RNAs in the serum and myocardium of spontaneous hypertensive rats

Circulating long noncoding RNAs as biomarkers of diseases have attracted increasing attention recently. However, circulating lncRNAs in hypertension is still unexplored niche. The levels of lncRNAs GAS5, NR024118, MRAK134679, AX765700 and MRNR026574 were measured in the serum and myocardium of hypertensive rats and normal controls with real time PCR. The levels of GAS5 were significantly higher both in the myocardium (P = 0.0067) and serum (P < 0.0001) of hypertensive rats compared with controls. The levels of NR024118 were remarkably higher in the myocardium of hypertensive rats (P = 0.0202) while the levels of serum NR024118 were not statistically significant in two groups (P = 0.6926). The levels of serum AX765700 (P = 0.0644) and cardiac AX765700 (P = 0.1938) were not statistically significant in hypertensive rats and controls. The levels of MRAK134679 were not different in the myocardium of two groups (P = 0.1692) and were too low in the serum to be detected. The levels of MRNR026574 were significantly higher in the myocardium of hypertensive rats compared with controls (P < 0.0001) and were too low in the serum to be detected. In conclusions, the levels of GAS5, NR024118 and MRNR026574 were increased in the myocardium of hypertensive rats, suggesting that they participate in the pathogenesis of hypertensive cardiac remodeling. Although, the levels of GAS5 in the serum and heart tissue were both significantly increased in SH rats, the potential biomarker capacity of GAS5 for HT needs to be further explored on larger human cohorts.

Proximal Tubule Translational Profiling during Kidney Fibrosis Reveals Proinflammatory and Long Noncoding RNA Expression Patterns with Sexual Dimorphism

BACKGROUND

Proximal tubule injury can initiate CKD, with progression rates that are approximately 50% faster in males versus females. The precise transcriptional changes in this nephron segment during fibrosis and potential differences between sexes remain undefined.

METHODS

We generated mice with proximal tubule-specific expression of an L10a ribosomal subunit protein fused with enhanced green fluorescent protein. We performed unilateral ureteral obstruction surgery on four male and three female mice to induce inflammation and fibrosis, collected proximal tubule-specific and bulk cortex mRNA at day 5 or 10, and sequenced samples to a depth of 30 million reads. We applied computational methods to identify sex-biased and shared molecular responses to fibrotic injury, including up- and downregulated long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and transcriptional regulators, and used in situ hybridization to validate critical genes and pathways.

RESULTS

We identified >17,000 genes in each proximal tubule group, including 145 G-protein-coupled receptors. More than 700 transcripts were differentially expressed in the proximal tubule of males versus females. The >4000 genes displaying altered expression during fibrosis were enriched for proinflammatory and profibrotic pathways. Our identification of nearly 150 differentially expressed proximal tubule lncRNAs during fibrosis suggests they may have unanticipated regulatory roles. Network analysis prioritized proinflammatory and profibrotic transcription factors such as Irf1, Nfkb1, and Stat3 as drivers of fibrosis progression.

CONCLUSIONS

This comprehensive transcriptomic map of the proximal tubule revealed sexually dimorphic gene expression that may reflect sex-related disparities in CKD, proinflammatory gene modules, and previously unappreciated proximal tubule-specific bidirectional lncRNA regulation.

A Noninvasive Prediction Nomogram for Lymph Node Metastasis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Based on Serum Long Noncoding RNAs

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is common in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In order to intervene HCC LNM in advance, we developed a prediction nomogram based on serum long noncoding RNA (lncRNA).

METHODS

Serum samples from 242 HCC patients were gathered and randomly enrolled into the training and validation cohorts. LncRNAs screened out from microarray were quantified with qRT-PCR. Univariate and multivariate analyses were applied for screening independent risk factors. A prediction nomogram was ultimately developed for HCC LNM. The nomogram was estimated by discrimination and calibration tests in the validation cohort. The effects of the candidate lncRNA on the malignant phenotypes of HCC cells were further explored by wound healing assay and colony formation assay.

RESULTS

ENST00000418803, lnc-ZNF35-4:1, lnc-EPS15L1-2:1, BCLC stage, and vascular invasion were selected as components of the nomogram according to the adjusted multivariate analysis. The nomogram effectively predicted the HCC LNM risk among the cohorts with suitable calibration fittings and displayed high discrimination with C-index of 0.89 and 0.85. Moreover, the abnormally high expression of lnc-EPS15L1-2:1 in HCC cell lines showed significant carcinogenic effects.

CONCLUSIONS

The noninvasive nomogram may provide more diagnostic basis for treatments of HCC. The biomarkers identified can bring new clues to basic researches.