Microarray analysis of long non-coding RNA expression profiles in low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol disease

High-Throughput Sequencing Profiles About lncRNAs and mRNAs of Ovarian Granulosa Cells in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders in women of reproductive age, which is characterized by ovulatory dysfunction, clinical and/or biochemical androgen excess, polycystic ovaries on ultrasound and genetic heterogeneity. It was well-accepted that many lncRNAs and mRNAs were associated with PCOS, however, remain unclear. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to examine different expression profiles of lncRNAs and mRNAs in ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) in PCOS and Controls, and identify the correlation between lncRNAs, mRNAs and clinical parameters. Sixty five PCOS patients and 65 Controls were enrolled in this study and adopted standard long agonist protocols or GnRH antagonist protocols. Then 6 GCs samples in each group were subjected to high-thoughput sequencing and the remaining samples were used for the further verification by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Gene Oncology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were performed. We predicted the relationship between lncRNAs and mRNAs by Cytoscape software. According to the expression level of lncRNAs, mRNAs and the clinical parameters, we also explored their relationship and evaluate their predictive values for embryos quality and PCOS. We identified 1,049 differential expressed lncRNAs and 3,246 mRNAs (fold-change ≥2, p-value < 0.05). Seven lncRNAs (NONHSAT101926.2, NONHSAT136825.2, NONHSAT227177.1, NONHSAT010538.2, NONHSAT191377.1, NONHSAT230904.1, ENST00000607307) and 3 mRNAs (EREG, ENTPD6, YAP1) were validated consistent with sequence profile. Seven lncRNAs were related to hormone level and follicle counts, 3 mRNAs had connections with lipid metabolism. The area under curve (AUC) of 7 lncRNAs were valuable in distinguishing patients with PCOS from Controls. The AUC of NONHSAT230904.1 and NONHSAT227177.1 were 0.6807 and 0.6410, respectively, for distinguishing whether the rate of high-quality embryos exceeds 50%. Our study showed that the GCs lncRNAs and mRNAs were involved in the occurrence and development of PCOS, which contribute to clarify the pathogenesis mechanism of PCOS.

Genetics and regulation of HDL metabolism

The inverse association between plasma HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been demonstrated by numerous epidemiological studies. However, efforts to reduce CVD risk by pharmaceutically manipulating HDL-C levels failed and refused the HDL hypothesis. HDL-C levels in the general population are highly heterogeneous and are determined by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Insights into the causes of HDL-C heterogeneity came from the study of monogenic HDL deficiency syndromes but also from genome wide association and Μendelian randomization studies which revealed the contribution of a large number of loci to low or high HDL-C cases in the general or in restricted ethnic populations. Furthermore, HDL-C levels in the plasma are under the control of transcription factor families acting primarily in the liver including members of the hormone nuclear receptors (PPARs, LXRs, HNF-4) and forkhead box proteins (FOXO1-4) and activating transcription factors (ATFs). The effects of certain lipid lowering drugs used today are based on the modulation of the activity of specific members of these transcription factors. During the past decade, the roles of small or long non-coding RNAs acting post-transcriptionally on the expression of HDL genes have emerged and provided novel insights into HDL regulation and new opportunities for therapeutic interventions. In the present review we summarize recent progress made in the genetics and the regulation (transcriptional and post-transcriptional) of HDL metabolism.

Interactions between noncoding RNAs as epigenetic regulatory mechanisms in cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) represent the foremost cause of mortality in the United States and worldwide. It is estimated that CVDs account for approximately 17.8 million deaths each year. Despite the advances made in understanding cellular mechanisms and gene mutations governing the pathophysiology of CVDs, they remain a significant cause of mortality and morbidity. A major segment of mammalian genomes encodes for genes that are not further translated into proteins. The roles of the majority of such noncoding ribonucleic acids (RNAs) have been puzzling for a long time. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are dynamically expressed in different cell types and have a comprehensive selection of regulatory roles at almost every step involved in DNAs, RNAs and proteins. Indeed, ncRNAs regulate gene expression through epigenetic interactions, through direct binding to target sequences, or by acting as competing endogenous RNAs. The profusion of ncRNAs in the cardiovascular system suggests that they may modulate complex regulatory networks that govern cardiac physiology and pathology. In this review, we summarize various functions of ncRNAs and highlight the recent literature on interactions between ncRNAs with an emphasis on cardiovascular disease regulation. Furthermore, as the broad-spectrum of ncRNAs potentially establishes new avenues for therapeutic development targeting CVDs, we discuss the innovative prospects of ncRNAs as therapeutic targets for CVDs.

Long Non-Coding RNA Associated with Cholesterol Homeostasis and Its Involvement in Metabolic Diseases

Cholesterol is an essential cell component that functions to create and maintain all kinds of cell membranes and lipoprotein particles. It is crucial to maintain the proper amount of cholesterol at both the cellular and systemic level. Recently, the importance of cholesterol has been reported not only in various cell development processes but also in the development of diseases. Furthermore, the involvement of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are regarded as important epigenetic regulators in gene expression, has also been reported in cholesterol homeostasis. It is thus necessary to summarize the research on lncRNAs related to cholesterol with increased interest. This review organized the role of lncRNAs according to the major issues in cholesterol homeostasis: efflux, metabolism and synthesis, and disease process.