Characteristics of mRNA dynamic expression related to spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury: a transcriptomics...

Following spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury, an endogenous damage system is immediately activated and participates in a cascade reaction. It is difficult to interpret dynamic changes in these pathways, but the examination of the transcriptome may provide some information. The transcriptome reflects highly dynamic genomic and genetic information and can be seen as a precursor for the proteome. We used DNA microarrays to measure the expression levels of dynamic evolution-related mRNA after spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats. The abdominal aorta was blocked with a vascular clamp for 90 minutes and underwent reperfusion for 24 and 48 hours. The simple ischemia group and sham group served as controls. After rats had regained consciousness, hindlimbs showed varying degrees of functional impairment, and gradually improved with prolonged reperfusion in spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury groups. Hematoxylin-eosin staining demonstrated that neuronal injury and tissue edema were most severe in the 24-hour reperfusion group, and mitigated in the 48-hour reperfusion group. There were 8,242 differentially expressed mRNAs obtained by Multi-Class Dif in the simple ischemia group, 24-hour and 48-hour reperfusion groups. Sixteen mRNA dynamic expression patterns were obtained by Serial Test Cluster. Of them, five patterns were significant. In the No. 28 pattern, all differential genes were detected in the 24-hour reperfusion group, and their expressions showed a trend in up-regulation. No. 11 pattern showed a decreasing trend in mRNA whereas No. 40 pattern showed an increasing trend in mRNA from ischemia to 48 hours of reperfusion, and peaked at 48 hours. In the No. 25 and No. 27 patterns, differential expression appeared only in the 24-hour and 48-hour reperfusion groups. Among the five mRNA dynamic expression patterns, No. 11 and No. 40 patterns could distinguish normal spinal cord from pathological tissue. No. 25 and No. 27 patterns could distinguish simple ischemia from ischemia/reperfusion. No. 28 pattern could analyze the need for inducing reperfusion injury. The study of specific pathways and functions for different dynamic patterns can provide a theoretical basis for clinical differential diagnosis and treatment of spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury.