Regulatory roles of differentially expressed MicroRNAs in metabolic processes in negative Lens-induced myopia Guinea pigs

Dadong Guo,Huixia Wei,Xiaoli Song,Hongsheng Bi,Wenjun Jiang,Meihua Ding,Yuanyuan Sun,Jianfeng Wu,Guoping Li,Zonghong Li

doi:10.1186/s12864-020-6447-x

Abstract

BackgroundMyopia is one of the most common vision defects worldwide. microRNAs can regulate the target gene expression, influencing the development of diseases.ResultsTo investigate the alterations of microRNA profiling in negative lens-induced myopia (NLIM) guinea pigs and to explore the regulatory role of microRNAs in the occurrence and the development of myopia, we first established the NLIM guinea pig model after induction for 2 weeks. Further, we isolated sclera to purify total messenger RNA (mRNA) in both NLIM and NLIM fellow sclera. Using next generation sequencing technique and bioinformatics analysis, we identified the differentially expressed microRNAs in NLIM guinea pigs, performed the bioinformatics annotation for the differentially expressed microRNAs, and validated the expression of differentially expressed microRNAs. As a result, we successfully established an NLIM model in guinea pigs, identified 27 differentially expressed microRNAs in NLIM guinea pig sclera, including 10 upregulated and 17 downregulated microRNAs. The KEGG annotation showed the main signaling pathways were closely associated with PPAR signaling, pyruvate and propanoate metabolisms, and TGF-beta signaling pathways.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that the development of myopia is mainly involved in the disorder of metabolic processes in NLIM guinea pigs. The PPAR signaling, pyruvate and propanoate metabolism pathways may play roles in the development of myopia.

Highlights

Myopia is one of the most common vision defects worldwide. microRNAs can regulate the target gene expression, influencing the development of diseases
The vitreous length and axial length were markedly elongated in negative lens-induced myopia (NLIM) eyes as compared with those of fellow eyes, whereas the refraction of NLIM eyes was remarkably decreased compared to that of NLIM fellow eyes, and these alterations accompanied by significant differences between NLIM eyes and NLIM fellow eyes
Changes of posterior sclera in NLIM eyes Considering that thinned posterior sclera is an important event in the development of myopia, we further explored the alteration of the thickness of posterior sclera in NLIM guinea pigs

Summary

Introduction

Myopia is one of the most common vision defects worldwide. microRNAs can regulate the target gene expression, influencing the development of diseases. Myopia (short-sightedness) is the most common refractive error in the eye, and one of the main causes of visual impairment worldwide [1]. The sclera is a dense, fibrous, and viscoelastic connective tissue that forms the size and shape of the eye. The sclera is crucial in the determination of the absolute size of the eye, playing a critical role in determining the refractive state of the eye. To date, both experimental outcomes and clinical evidence have confirmed the excessive ocular elongation related to myopia is attributed to the remodeling of extracellular matrix (ECM) for scleral shell [12].

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