Jine Wu1,2, Dan Han2, Rui Shi2, Mingxia Chen3, Jingwen Sun2, Hongyan Tian4, Yang Yan1. 1. Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China. 2. Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China. 3. Medical Department of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Electron Microscope Room, Xi'an, China. 4. Department of Peripheral Vascular Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: We analysed lncRNA expression profiles in atrial samples from patients with rheumatic mitral valve disease (RMVD) to identify the potential differences in atrial fibrillation (AF)-associated lncRNAs between RMVD patients with AF and sinus rhythm (SR). METHODS: Masson's trichrome staining and scanning electron microscopy were performed to evaluate the tissue morphology. Western blotting was performed to detect the expression of fibrosis-related proteins. Difference analysis, Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and gene co-expression networks were also adopted to perform IncRNA expression profile analysis in atrial samples. RESULTS: Masson's trichrome staining indicated higher contents of fat deposition and fibrous tissue in atrial samples from patients with AF than from patients with SR. Western blotting showed that fibrosis-related proteins, including smad2, TGFβ1, MMP9, and TIMP1, were upregulated in atrial samples from patients with AF compared to those from patients with SR. lncRNA expression profiles showed different lncRNA expression levels between RMVD patients with AF and SR. Moreover, GO, KEGG and gene co-expression networks showed consistent results and indicated that differentially expressed genes might contribute to the pathogenesis of AF. CONCLUSION: Our results revealed the potential roles of IncRNAs in the development of AF in patients with RMVD, and lncRNAs may be responsible for morphological and physiological differences in atria between RMVD patients with AF and SR.
OBJECTIVE: We analysed lncRNA expression profiles in atrial samples from patients with rheumatic mitral valve disease (RMVD) to identify the potential differences in atrial fibrillation (AF)-associated lncRNAs between RMVD patients with AF and sinus rhythm (SR). METHODS: Masson's trichrome staining and scanning electron microscopy were performed to evaluate the tissue morphology. Western blotting was performed to detect the expression of fibrosis-related proteins. Difference analysis, Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and gene co-expression networks were also adopted to perform IncRNA expression profile analysis in atrial samples. RESULTS: Masson's trichrome staining indicated higher contents of fat deposition and fibrous tissue in atrial samples from patients with AF than from patients with SR. Western blotting showed that fibrosis-related proteins, including smad2, TGFβ1, MMP9, and TIMP1, were upregulated in atrial samples from patients with AF compared to those from patients with SR. lncRNA expression profiles showed different lncRNA expression levels between RMVD patients with AF and SR. Moreover, GO, KEGG and gene co-expression networks showed consistent results and indicated that differentially expressed genes might contribute to the pathogenesis of AF. CONCLUSION: Our results revealed the potential roles of IncRNAs in the development of AF in patients with RMVD, and lncRNAs may be responsible for morphological and physiological differences in atria between RMVD patients with AF and SR.