Effect of electroacupuncture on lncRNAs and mRNAs profiles of ischemic brain injury in middle cerebral artery occlusion rat model.

Abstract

Electroacupuncture (EA) has been widely used for the treatment of ischemic brain injury. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been confirmed to participate in the pathophysiological progression of various neurological disorders. However, the mechanism by which EA regulates the expression and functions of lncRNAs in ischemic brain injury is still unclear. In the present study, middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rats were treated with EA. The infarct volume and neurological deficit score were assessed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of EA. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was used to obtain mRNA and lncRNA profiles, which were validated via qRT‒PCR. A total of 2198 lncRNAs and 3919 mRNAs were identified as DE genes in MCAO rats compared with sham rats, and 602 lncRNAs and 180 mRNAs were identified as remarkably DE genes in MCAO rats after EA treatment compared with MCAO rats. Bioinformatic analysis was performed on the identified deregulated genes through gene ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. Pathway analysis revealed that inflammation-related signaling pathways (the p53 signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway and MAPK signaling pathway) play vital roles in the treatment of EA. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and dual-luciferase reporter gene, qRT‒PCR and western blot analyses revealed that the lncRNA NONRATT016536.2 sponged miR-665 to regulate the inflammatory response by targeting FCRL2. Our study suggested that EA treatment effectively improved ischemic brain injury. Bioinformatics analysis of the lncRNAs and mRNAs profiles of MCAO rats provides a new perspective on the neuroprotective effects of EA.