lncRNA and circRNA expression profiles in the hippocampus of Aβ25‑35‑induced AD mice treated with Tripterygium glycoside

Exp Ther Med. 2023 Jul 19;26(3):426. doi: 10.3892/etm.2023.12125. eCollection 2023 Sep.

Abstract

Tripterygium glycosides (TG) have been reported to ameliorate Alzheimer's disease (AD), although the mechanism involved remains to be determined. In the present study, the lncRNA and circRNA expression profiles of an AD mouse model treated with TG were assessed using microarrays. lncRNAs, mRNAs, and circRNAs in the hippocampi of 3 AD+normal saline (NS) mice and 3 AD+TG mice were detected using microarrays. The most differentially expressed lncRNAs, mRNAs, and circRNAs were screened between the AD+NS and AD+TG groups. The differentially expressed lncRNAs and circRNAs were analyzed using GO enrichment and KEGG analyses. Co-expression analysis of lncRNAs, circRNAs, and mRNAs was performed by calculating the correlation coefficients. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis was performed on mRNAs using STRING. The lncRNA-target-transcription factor (TF) network was analyzed using the Network software. In total, 661 lncRNAs, 64 circRNAs, and 503 mRNAs were found to be differentially expressed in AD mice treated with TG. Pou4f1, Egr2, Mag, and Nr4a1 were the hub genes in the PPI network. The KEGG results showed that the mRNAs that were co-expressed with lncRNAs were enriched in the TNF, PI3K-Akt, and Wnt signaling pathways. LncRNA-target-TF network analysis indicated that TFs, including Cebpa, Zic2, and Rxra, were the most likely to regulate the detected lncRNAs. The circRNA-miRNA interaction network indicated that 275 miRNAs may bind to the 64 circRNAs. In conclusion, these findings provide a novel perspective on AD pathogenesis, and the detected lncRNAs, mRNAs, and circRNAs may serve as novel therapeutic targets for the management of AD.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Tripterygium glycoside; circRNA; lncRNA.

Grants and funding

Funding: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 81873780), The Changsha Outstanding Innovative Young People Training Scheme (grant nos. kq2206058 and kq2206056), The Foundation of Project of Hunan Health and Family Planning Commission (grant no. 202202082739), The Foundation of the Education Department of Hunan Province (grant nos. 21A0586 and 22A0662), The Foundation of the Education Department of Guangxi Province (grant no. 2021KY1959); The Hunan Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of the Research and Development of Novel Pharmaceutical Preparations (grant no. 2016TP1029), and the Application Characteristic Discipline of Hunan Province.