scholarly journals CircRNA/lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network in the blood exosomes of patients with atherosclerosis

Author(s):  
Wan Zhang ◽  
Ting Zhu ◽  
Li Li ◽  
Zhenyu Guo

Abstract Background: Atherosclerosis (AS) is a systemic, chronic and multifocal disease and is the primary pathological basis of cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary heart disease (CHD) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Our study attempted to identify aberrant exosome-derived circRNAs in AS and determine their potential clinical value. Methods: The expression of mRNA, circRNA and lncRNA in the blood exosomes of CHD patients and healthy controls was obtained from the exoRBase database. The corresponding miRNAs of mRNA, circRNA and lncRNA were predicted via ENCORI and the miRcode database. The circRNA/lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA interaction network was established based on a competitive endogenous RNA regulatory mechanism. Aberrant circRNAs in the aforementioned network were validated in patients with PAD by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Results: Based on the cutoff criteria of P<0.05, we identified 85 differentially expressed circRNAs (4 up- and 81 downregulated), 43 differentially expressed lncRNAs (24 up- and 19 downregulated) and 312 differentially expressed genes (55 up- and 257 downregulated). Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed that the biological process (BP) terms of the DEGs were significantly enriched in the positive regulation of phosphoprotein phosphatase activity and the positive regulation of protein dephosphorylation. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis demonstrated that DEGs were closely related to the glucagon signaling pathway and estrogen signaling pathway. The relative expression level of hsa_circ_0001360 was significantly downregulated in blood exosomes from patients with PAD, exhibiting an area under the curve of 0.92 (P=0.0283). Conclusion: The circRNA/lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA interaction network might help to elucidate the pathogenesis of AS. Hsa_circ_0001360 was significantly downregulated in blood exosomes in patients with PAD, and this RNA might represent an important diagnostic biomarker of AS.

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenqing Nai ◽  
Diane Threapleton ◽  
Jingbo Lu ◽  
Kewei Zhang ◽  
Hongyuan Wu ◽  
...  

Abstract Atherosclerosis is the primary cause of cardiovascular events and its molecular mechanism urgently needs to be clarified. In our study, atheromatous plaques (ATH) and macroscopically intact tissue (MIT) sampled from 32 patients were compared and an integrated series of bioinformatic microarray analyses were used to identify altered genes and pathways. Our work showed 816 genes were differentially expressed between ATH and MIT, including 443 that were up-regulated and 373 that were down-regulated in ATH tissues. GO functional-enrichment analysis for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) indicated that genes related to the “immune response” and “muscle contraction” were altered in ATHs. KEGG pathway-enrichment analysis showed that up-regulated DEGs were significantly enriched in the “FcεRI-mediated signaling pathway”, while down-regulated genes were significantly enriched in the “transforming growth factor-β signaling pathway”. Protein-protein interaction network and module analysis demonstrated that VAV1, SYK, LYN and PTPN6 may play critical roles in the network. Additionally, similar observations were seen in a validation study where SYK, LYN and PTPN6 were markedly elevated in ATH. All in all, identification of these genes and pathways not only provides new insights into the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, but may also aid in the development of prognostic and therapeutic biomarkers for advanced atheroma.


2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (11) ◽  
pp. 030006052096933
Author(s):  
Yun-peng Bai ◽  
Bo-chen Yao ◽  
Mei Wang ◽  
Xian-kun Liu ◽  
Xiao-long Zhu ◽  
...  

Background Vein graft restenosis (VGR), which appears to be caused by dyslipidemia following vascular transplantation, seriously affects the prognosis and long-term quality of life of patients. Methods This study analyzed the genetic data of restenosis (VGR group) and non-stenosis (control group) vessels from patients with coronary heart disease post-vascular transplantation and identified hub genes that might be responsible for its occurrence. GSE110398 was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. A repeatability test for the GSE110398 dataset was performed using R language. This included the identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), enrichment analysis via Metascape software, pathway enrichment analysis, and construction of a protein–protein interaction network and a hub gene network. Results Twenty-four DEGs were identified between VGR and control groups. The four most important hub genes ( KIR6.1, PCLP1, EDNRB, and BPI) were identified, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient showed that KIR6.1 and BPI were significantly correlated with VGR. KIR6.1 could also sensitively predict VGR (0.9 < area under the curve ≤1). Conclusion BPI and KIR6.1 were differentially expressed in vessels with and without stenosis after vascular transplantation, suggesting that these genes or their encoded proteins may be involved in the occurrence of VGR.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lun Wu ◽  
Ying Wei ◽  
Wen-Bo Zhou ◽  
Jiao Zhou ◽  
Li-Hua Yang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Borax, a boron compound, which is becoming widely recognized for its biological effects, including antioxidant activity, cytotoxicity, and potential therapeutic benefits. However, the specific molecular mechanisms underlying borax-induced anti-tumor effect still remain to be to further elucidated. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) may play key roles in cellular processes including tumor progression, cell apoptosis and cytotoxicity. Thus, this study aimed to investigate, whether miRNAs were involved in the borax-mediated anti-tumor effect using miRNA profiling of a human liver cancer cell line (HepG2) using gene-chip analysis.Methods Total RNA was extracted and purified from HepG2 cells that were treated with 4 mM borax for either 2 or 24 h. The samples underwent microarray analysis using an Agilent Human miRNA Array. Differentially expressed miRNAs were analysed by volcano plot and heatmap, and were validated using real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (qPCR).ResultsAmong this, 2- or 24-h exposure to borax significantly altered the expression level of miRNAs in HepG2 cells, 4 or 14 were upregulated and 3 were downregulated compared with the control group, respectively (≥2-fold; P<0.05). GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed that target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs in HepG2 cells predominantly participated in MAPK signaling pathway, TGF-beta signaling pathway, NF-kappa B signaling pathway, etc; in 2-h borax treatment group, while Ras signaling pathway, FoxO signaling pathway, Cellular senescence, etc; involved in 24-h treatment group.Conclusions Result indicates that borax-induced anti-tumor effect may be associated with alterations in miRNAs.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sha Di ◽  
Lin Han ◽  
Qing Wang ◽  
Xinkui Liu ◽  
Yingying Yang ◽  
...  

Shen-Qi-Di-Huang decoction (SQDHD), a well-known herbal formula from China, has been widely used in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy (DN). However, the pharmacological mechanisms of SQDHD have not been entirely elucidated. At first, we conducted a comprehensive literature search to identify the active constituents of SQDHD, determined their corresponding targets, and obtained known DN targets from several databases. A protein-protein interaction network was then built to explore the complex relations between SQDHD targets and those known to treat DN. Following the topological feature screening of each node in the network, 400 major targets of SQDHD were obtained. The pathway enrichment analysis results acquired from DAVID showed that the significant bioprocesses and pathways include oxidative stress, response to glucose, regulation of blood pressure, regulation of cell proliferation, cytokine-mediated signaling pathway, and the apoptotic signaling pathway. More interestingly, five key targets of SQDHD, named AKT1, AR, CTNNB1, EGFR, and ESR1, were significant in the regulation of the above bioprocesses and pathways. This study partially verified and predicted the pharmacological and molecular mechanisms of SQDHD on DN from a holistic perspective. This has laid the foundation for further experimental research and has expanded the rational application of SQDHD in clinical practice.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongfu Xiong ◽  
Wenxian You ◽  
Rong Wang ◽  
Linglong Peng ◽  
Zhongxue Fu

Although hundreds of colorectal cancer- (CRC-) related genes have been screened, the significant hub genes still need to be further identified. The aim of this study was to identify the hub genes based on protein-protein interaction network and uncover their clinical value. Firstly, 645 CRC patients’ data from the Tumor Cancer Genome Atlas were downloaded and analyzed to screen the differential expression genes (DEGs). And then, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis was performed, and PPI network of the DEGs was constructed by Cytoscape software. Finally, four hub genes (CXCL3, ELF5, TIMP1, and PHLPP2) were obtained from four subnets and further validated in our clinical setting and TCGA dataset. The results showed that mRNA expression of CXCL3, ELF5, and TIMP1 was increased in CRC tissues, whereas PHLPP2 mRNA expression was decreased. More importantly, high expression of CXCL3, ELF5, and TIMP1 was significantly associated with lymphatic invasion, distance metastasis, and advanced tumor stage. In addition, a shorter overall survival was observed in patients with increased CXCL3, TIMP1, and ELF5 expression and decreased PHLPP2 expression. In conclusion, the four hub genes screened by our strategy could serve as novel biomarkers for prognosis prediction of CRC patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 382
Author(s):  
Tingting Zhu ◽  
Han Liu ◽  
Li Su ◽  
Ali Dawood ◽  
Changmin Hu ◽  
...  

Although Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) has existed for thousands of years, its immune escape mechanism remains obscure. Increasing evidence signifies that microRNAs (miRNAs) play pivotal roles in the progression of tuberculosis (TB). RNA sequencing was used to sequence miRNAs in human acute monocytic leukemia cells (THP-1) infected by the virulent MTB-1458 strain and the avirulent vaccine strain Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG). Sets of differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) between MTB-1458/BCG-infected groups and uninfected groups were identified, among which 18 were differentially expressed only in the MTB-1458-infected THP-1 group. Then, 13 transcription factors (TFs) and 81 target genes of these 18 DE-miRNAs were matched. Gene Ontology classification as well as Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis showed that the candidate targets were predominantly involved in apoptotic-associated and interferon-γ-mediated signaling pathways. A TF-miRNA-mRNA interaction network was constructed to analyze the relationships among these 18 DE-miRNAs and their targets and TFs, as well as display the hub miRNAs, TFs, and target genes. Considering the degrees from network analysis and the reported functions, this study focused on the BHLHE40-miR-378d-BHLHE40 regulation axis and confirmed that BHLHE40 was a target of miR-378d. This cross-talk among DE-miRNAs, mRNAs, and TFs might be an important feature in TB, and the findings merited further study and provided new insights into immune defense and evasion underlying host-pathogen interactions.


PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e9280
Author(s):  
Jijun Song ◽  
Mingxin Song

Background Echinococcosis caused by larval of Echinococcus is prevalent all over the world. Although clinical experience showed that the presence of tapeworms could not be found in liver lesions, the repeated infection and aggravation of lesions still occur in the host. Here, this study constructed a multifactor-driven disease-related dysfunction network to explore the potential molecular pathogenesis mechanism in different hosts after E.multilocularis infection. Method First, iTRAQ sequencing was performed on human liver infected with E.multilocularis. Second, obtained microRNAs(miRNAs) expression profiles of humans and canine infected with Echinococcus from the GEO database. In addition, we also performed differential expression analysis, protein interaction network analysis, enrichment analysis, and crosstalk analysis to obtain genes and modules related to E.multilocularis infection. Pivot analysis is used to calculate the potential regulatory effects of multiple factors on the module and identify related non-coding RNAs(ncRNAs) and transcription factors(TFs). Finally, we screened the target genes of miRNAs of Echinococcus to further explore its infection mechanism. Results A total of 267 differentially expressed proteins from humans and 3,635 differentially expressed genes from canine were obtained. They participated in 16 human-related dysfunction modules and five canine-related dysfunction modules, respectively. Both human and canine dysfunction modules are significantly involved in BMP signaling pathway and TGF-beta signaling pathway. In addition, pivot analysis found that 1,129 ncRNAs and 110 TFs significantly regulated human dysfunction modules, 158 ncRNAs and nine TFs significantly regulated canine dysfunction modules. Surprisingly, the Echinococcus miR-184 plays a role in the pathogenicity regulation by targeting nine TFs and one ncRNA in humans. Similarly, miR-184 can also cause physiological dysfunction by regulating two transcription factors in canine. Conclusion The results show that the miRNA-184 of Echinococcus can regulate the pathogenic process through various biological functions and pathways. The results laid a solid theoretical foundation for biologists to further explore the pathogenic mechanism of Echinococcosis.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinsheng Wang ◽  
Yutao Wang ◽  
Lei Gao ◽  
Yuhua Zhao ◽  
Junhua Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive and most lethal primary malignant brain tumor, the 5-year survival rate of which is less than 5%. Novel potential molecular and mechanism of GBM need to investigate.Materials and methods Microarray data of GSE15824 was downloaded from GEO. Differentially expressed genes and lncRNAs were screened by Limma package in R studio, and pathway enrichment analysis was performed by clusterprofiler package in R studio and IPA. The ceRNA mechanism was analyzed and predicted by several kinds of online public databases.ResultsThere were 567 differentially expressed genes and 121 differentially expressed lncRNAs in GBM. And differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in Tuberculosis, Staphylococcus aureus infection, Systemic lupus erythematosus, Basal cell carcinoma, TGF-beta signaling pathway and p53 signaling pathway. Besides, Neuroinflammation signaling pathway, Role of NFAT in regulation of the immune response, and Dendritic cell maturation were significantly activated in GBM. According to the analysis of target miRNAs of SEM4D and OSER1-AS1, a possible ceRNA mechanism OSER1-AS1/hsa-miR-520h/SEMA4D axis was predicted in GBM.Conclusion Bioinformatics analysis was employed to analyze GSE15824 chip, and predict the potential mechanism. The results revealed that the ceRNA mechanism, OSER1-AS1/hsa-miR-520h/SEMA4D axis, might play a vital role in GBM.


PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e9119
Author(s):  
Priyansh Srivastava ◽  
Alakto Choudhury ◽  
Mehak Talwar ◽  
Sabyasachi Mohanty ◽  
Priyanka Narad ◽  
...  

Vitiligo is a chronic asymptomatic disorder affecting melanocytes from the basal layer of the epidermis which leads to a patchy loss of skin color. Even though it is one of the neglected disease conditions, people suffering from vitiligo are more prone to psychological disorders. As of now, various studies have been done in order to project auto-immune implications as the root cause. To understand the complexity of vitiligo, we propose the Vitiligo Information Resource (VIRdb) that integrates both the drug-target and systems approach to produce a comprehensive repository entirely devoted to vitiligo, along with curated information at both protein level and gene level along with potential therapeutics leads. These 25,041 natural compounds are curated from Natural Product Activity and Species Source Database. VIRdb is an attempt to accelerate the drug discovery process and laboratory trials for vitiligo through the computationally derived potential drugs. It is an exhaustive resource consisting of 129 differentially expressed genes, which are validated through gene ontology and pathway enrichment analysis. We also report 22 genes through enrichment analysis which are involved in the regulation of epithelial cell differentiation. At the protein level, 40 curated protein target molecules along with their natural hits that are derived through virtual screening. We also demonstrate the utility of the VIRdb by exploring the Protein–Protein Interaction Network and Gene–Gene Interaction Network of the target proteins and differentially expressed genes. For maintaining the quality and standard of the data in the VIRdb, the gold standard in bioinformatics toolkits like Cytoscape, Schrödinger’s GLIDE, along with the server installation of MATLAB, are used for generating results. VIRdb can be accessed through “http://www.vitiligoinfores.com/”.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Hongxing Li ◽  
Xinyue Zhang ◽  
Lili Gu ◽  
Ningzi Wu ◽  
Lingxi Zhang ◽  
...  

This study aims to explore the possible homologous mechanism of 7 frequently‐used herbs for heat-clearing and detoxification in traditional Chinese medicine (HDTCM) for treating Alzheimer's disease (AD), one of the most common types of dementia, based on network pharmacology. Herbs that satisfied the criteria of containing chlorogenic acid, relating to AD and aligning with HDTCM, were simultaneously collected to determine whether they have anti-AD effect based on a survey of the literature. Herb-ingredient-target-disease networks were constructed by collecting information from the TCMSP and GeneCards public databases. The common targets of the herbs and AD were identified for conducting a Gene Ontology (GO) analyses and a Reactome pathway enrichment analysis. The results showed that PTGS1, IL-6, CASP3, and VEGFA were the predicted key gene targets. The IL-4 and IL-13 signaling pathway, the ESR-mediated signaling pathway, and the extranuclear estrogen signaling pathway were the significant pathways associated with the 7 herbs. This study revealed that the analogous anti-AD mechanism of the 7 herbs of HDTCM may be associated with anti-inflammation, which is a common effect of the chlorogenic acid and quercetin components.


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