Profiling of miRNAs in neonatal cloned bovines with collapsed lungs and respiratory distress

Clinical value of serum miR-92 and miR-122 expression level combined with pulmonary ultrasound score in the prognosis of neonatal acute respiratory distress syndrome

Purpose

To explore the value of the expression of serum miR‐92 and miR‐122 combined with lung ultrasound score (LUS) in the prognosis of neonatal acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Patients and methods

This study involved 148 neonatal ARDS cases from January 2018 to October 2021, of which 77 children were discharged from hospital and 31 died. The children with ARDS were classified according to disease severity based on X‐ray examination as mild (n = 69 cases) and severe (n = 39 cases). The expression of serum miR‐92 and miR‐122 was detected by real‐time fluorescence quantitative PCR and the LUS score was recorded. The data were subjected to ROC curve analysis and Pearson correlation analysis.

Results

The expression of serum miR‐92, miR‐122, and LUS score in the patients that died were significantly higher than in those who survived (p < 0.05). These indicators were also significantly higher in the severe disease group compared to the mild disease group (p < 0.05). ROC curve showed that serum miR‐92 and miR‐122 combined with the LUS score had the largest area under the curve (0.920, 95% CI: 0.860–0.977) for predicting death, with a sensitivity and specificity of 92.0% and 87.0%, respectively. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the expression levels of serum miR‐92 and miR‐122 were positively correlated with the LUS score (all p < 0.01).

Conclusions

The increased expression of serum miR‐92 and miR‐122 is related to the severity and prognosis of children with ARDS, combined with the LUS score are of value to predict the prognosis of children with ARDS.

Post-Stroke Social Isolation Reduces Cell Proliferation in the Dentate Gyrus and Alters miRNA Profiles in the Aged Female Mice Brain

Social isolation and loneliness are risk factors for stroke. Elderly women are more likely to be isolated. Census data shows that in homeowners over the age of 65, women are much more likely to live alone. However, the underlying mechanisms of the detrimental effects of isolation have not been well studied in older females. In this study, we hypothesized that isolation impairs post-stroke recovery in aged female mice, leading to dysregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) in the brain, including those previously shown to be involved in response to social isolation (SI). Aged C57BL/6 female mice were subjected to a 60-min middle cerebral artery occlusion and were randomly assigned to either single housing (SI) or continued pair housing (PH) immediately after stroke for 15 days. SI immediately after stroke led to significantly more brain tissue loss after stroke and higher mortality. Furthermore, SI significantly delayed motor and sensory recovery and worsened cognitive function, compared to PH. A decrease in cell proliferation was seen in the dentate gyrus of SI mice assessed by bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling. miRNAome data analysis revealed changes in several miRNAs in the brain, such as miR-297a-3p and miR-200c-3p, which are known to regulate pathways involved in cell proliferation. In conclusion, our data suggest that SI can lead to a poor post-stroke recovery in aged females and dysregulation of miRNAs and reduced hippocampal cell proliferation.

Recent advances in our understanding of the mechanisms of lung alveolarization and bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in preterm infants. A key histopathological feature of BPD is stunted late lung development, where the process of alveolarization-the generation of alveolar gas exchange units-is impeded, through mechanisms that remain largely unclear. As such, there is interest in the clarification both of the pathomechanisms at play in affected lungs, and the mechanisms of de novo alveoli generation in healthy, developing lungs. A better understanding of normal and pathological alveolarization might reveal opportunities for improved medical management of affected infants. Furthermore, disturbances to the alveolar architecture are a key histopathological feature of several adult chronic lung diseases, including emphysema and fibrosis, and it is envisaged that knowledge about the mechanisms of alveologenesis might facilitate regeneration of healthy lung parenchyma in affected patients. To this end, recent efforts have interrogated clinical data, developed new-and refined existing-in vivo and in vitro models of BPD, have applied new microscopic and radiographic approaches, and have developed advanced cell-culture approaches, including organoid generation. Advances have also been made in the development of other methodologies, including single-cell analysis, metabolomics, lipidomics, and proteomics, as well as the generation and use of complex mouse genetics tools. The objective of this review is to present advances made in our understanding of the mechanisms of lung alveolarization and BPD over the period 1 January 2017-30 June 2019, a period that spans the 50th anniversary of the original clinical description of BPD in preterm infants.