Micro-Rna Detection for the Diagnosis of Colon Cancer in a Murine Model

Abstract

Introduction The main objective of this study was to characterise an animal model of colon cancer in the F344-ApcPircUwm rat through the analysis of microRNAs expressed in plasma by Next Generation Sequencing. Methods Colonoscopic follow-ups of the colon cancer model were performed for 10 months (n=60). At each follow-up, 2 ml of whole blood was collected in EDTA tubes, centrifuged for plasma extraction and frozen at - 80 °C. After euthanasia of the animals the different regions of the colon and their respective findings were analysed by histopathological analysis to obtain a ground truth. After this, 14 plasma samples were analysed by Next Generation Sequencing to observe the different expressions of microRNAs between the animals corresponding to the Neoplasia group and the healthy animals (n=6/8). Results After the corresponding functional analysis of the microRNAs deregulated in the animals of the colonic adenoma group and the healthy animals, we highlight rno-miR-192–5p, rno-miR-125b-5p and rno-miR-29c-3p, which appear underexpressed in the animals with adenomatous and adenocarcinomatous lesions in the colon. Conclusions The microRNAs deregulated in this animal model compared to their healthy counterpart without lesions obtained by liquid biopsy are miR-125b-5p, miR-192–5p and miR-29c-3p and their study could open the door to novel therapeutic strategies for prognosis and diagnosis by studying their expression in animal models that could be transferred to humans in the fight against colon cancer.