Alterations in microRNA expression in a murine model of diet-induced vasculogenic erectile dysfunction

MicroRNAs (miRs) are noncoding, endogenous RNA molecules that regulate gene expression and play roles in response to vascular injury.

The aim of this study was to identify miRs expressed in corporal tissue (CT) and to determine whether miRs demonstrate differential expression in a mouse model of diet-induced erectile dysfunction (ED).

RNA was isolated from the CT from control mice and mice with diet-induced ED. A quantifiable miR profiling technique (NanoString) was used to determine the expression of over 600 miRs.

Differential expression analysis was performed using a negative binomial regression model for count-based data. Mean expression levels, fold change, and false discovery-corrected P values were determined. Candidate miRs were validated via quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR).

In control mice, NanoString analysis revealed that 181 miRs were expressed above background levels and 5 miRs were expressed at high levels. Diet-induced ED resulted in the up-regulation of 6 miRs and the down-regulation of 65 miRs in the CT compared with mice on control diet. Focusing on the upregulated miRs, we chose five for Q-PCR validation. Of these five, two (miR-151-5p and miR-1937c) demonstrated significance via Q-PCR, whereas the other three (miR-720, miR-1937a, miR-205) trended in the correct direction.

MiRs may play a significant role in mRNA regulation in CT and specific miRs may be involved in diet-induced vasculogenic ED. Future studies are aimed at determining the mRNA targets of these miRs.