Altered expression of microRNAs in the rat diaphragm in a model of ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction after controlled mechanical ventilation

Abstract

Background Ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction (VIDD) is a common complication of life support by mechanical ventilation observed in critical patients in clinical practice and may predispose patients to severe complications such as ventilator-associated pneumonia or ventilator discontinuation failure. To date, the alterations in microRNA (miRNA) expression in the rat diaphragm in a VIDD model have not been elucidated. This study was designed to identify these alterations in expression. Results Adult male Wistar rats received conventional controlled mechanical ventilation (CMV) or breathed spontaneously for 12 h. Then, their diaphragm tissues were collected for RNA extraction. The miRNA expression alterations in diaphragm tissue were investigated by high-throughput microRNA-sequencing (miRNA-seq). For targeted mRNA functional analysis, gene ontology (GO) analyses and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were subsequently conducted. qRT-PCR validation and luciferase reporter assays were performed. We successfully constructed a model of ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction and identified 38 significantly differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs, among which 22 miRNAs were upregulated and 16 were downregulated. GO analyses identified functional genes, and KEGG pathway analyses revealed the signaling pathways that were most highly correlated, which were the MAPK pathway, FoxO pathway and Autophagy–animal. Luciferase reporter assays showed that STAT3 was a direct target of both miR-92a-1-5p and miR-874-3p and that Trim63 was a direct target of miR-3571. Conclusions The current research supplied novel perspectives on miRNAs in the diaphragm, which may not only be implicated in diaphragm dysfunction pathogenesis but could also be considered as therapeutic targets in diaphragm dysfunction.

Aminophylline Improves Ventilator-Induced Diaphragmatic Dysfunction by Targeting IGF-1-FOXO1-MURF1 Pathway

“…Incidence rates of VIDD and weaning challenges among MV-receiving patients have been reported at 63% and up to 35%, respectively [6]. Beyond increased mortality and morbidity, extended hospital stays, and weaning challenges, VIDD can give rise to complications such as pneumonia and a poor prognosis for critically ill patients [7].…”

Identification of the co-differentially expressed hub genes involved in the endogenous protective mechanism against ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction

“…By overlapping the DEGs and the hub genes from the core module, a set of common genes, labeled as co-differentially expressed hub genes, were identified. Although the diaphragm transcriptome has been profiled in MV models and the activities of specific miRNAs have been studied [27], little is known about potential internal protective mechanisms against VIDD. Therefore, based on highthroughput RNA-seq and WGCNA, the current study aimed to uncover co-differentially expressed hub genes in the diaphragm that could be involved in an endogenous mechanism during MV.…”