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Detection of the MicroRNA expression profile in skeletal muscles of burn trauma at the early stage in rats
Zhang Haijun1, Yu Yonghui1, Chai Jiake1
1Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, First Hospital Affiliated to General Hospital of Pla, Beijing, China.
Background:
Severe burn injuries are associated with a persistent hypermetabolic response, which causes long-term loss of muscle mass that results in a clinical negative balance of nitrogen and muscle wasting. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression, which negatively regulates gene expression by promoting degradation of target mRNAs or inhibiting their translation. However, the mechanisms of skeletal muscle wasting after severe burn involved in miRNAs still remain unclear.
Methods:
In this study, the alterations of miRNAs expression profile in skeletal muscles of thermal rats were detected at an early stage by microarray. All data were presented as mean±SD. Statistical analysis was determined by independent Student's t-test and one-way ANOVA. The significance was all set at p<0.05, and fold change cut-off was 2.0 for microarray. Significant differentially expressed miRNAs were identified through Volcano Plot filtering. Hierarchical clustering was performed using MEV software (v4.6, TIGR).
Results:
Thousands of miRNAs could be examined in normal and injured tissues, but only 69 of these were significantly upregulated or down-regulated, which could be used to discriminate skeletal muscles of thermal rats from matched tissues.
Conclusion:
The deregulated miRNAs probably play a potential role in the pathogenesis of skeletal muscle wasting in burn trauma.
Insights
Severe burn injuries cause muscle wasting. This study identified 69 microRNAs (miRNAs) that are significantly altered in skeletal muscle after burns, suggesting their role in muscle wasting pathogenesis.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Physiology
Background:
- Severe burn injuries induce a hypermetabolic state, leading to muscle wasting and nitrogen imbalance.
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of gene expression, but their role in burn-induced muscle wasting is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the expression profile of microRNAs (miRNAs) in skeletal muscle following severe burn injury.
- To identify specific miRNAs involved in the pathogenesis of muscle wasting after thermal trauma.
Main Methods:
- Microarray analysis was used to detect miRNA expression profiles in the skeletal muscles of thermal rats at an early stage.
- Statistical analyses, including t-tests and ANOVA, were performed with a fold change cut-off of 2.0 and significance at p<0.05.
- Volcano plots and hierarchical clustering were utilized to identify differentially expressed miRNAs.
Main Results:
- A total of 69 miRNAs were found to be significantly upregulated or downregulated in the skeletal muscles of burn-injured rats compared to controls.
- These differentially expressed miRNAs could effectively discriminate between skeletal muscle tissues from thermal rats and matched control tissues.
Conclusions:
- The identified deregulated miRNAs are likely to play a significant role in the development of skeletal muscle wasting following burn trauma.
- Further research into these miRNAs may reveal therapeutic targets for mitigating muscle wasting in burn patients.
