OBJECTIVETo investigate the association between long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and brain injury in inflammation-induced preterm mice, and to provide a reference for the prevention and treatment of brain injury.

METHODSAn intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide in pregnant mice was performed to establish a model of inflammation-induced preterm mice with brain injury (preterm group). The full-term mice delivered by normal pregnant mice were used as controls (full-term group). The lncRNA chip assay was used to screen out the lncRNAs associated with brain injury in preterm mice. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to validate the lncRNAs identified by the above method.

RESULTSThe preterm and full-term groups showed significant differences in the expression of 1 978 lncRNAs (P<0.05), consisting of 786 up-regulated lncRNAs and 1 192 down-regulated lncRNAs, and 29 lncRNAs were 1.5 or more times differentially expressed between the two groups. A further analysis was performed for the 10 most differentially expressed lncRNAs, and the results showed that these lncRNAs were involved in the biological processes including transcription, signal transduction, apoptosis, cell cycle, and inflammatory response, as well as G protein-coupled receptor signaling pathway and neuropeptide signaling pathway. Real-time PCR was performed to validate the expression of two lncRNAs in brain tissue in the preterm and full-term groups, and the results were consistent with those of the chip assay.

CONCLUSIONSThe expression profiles of lncRNAs in brain tissue change significantly in inflammation-induced preterm mice, and the G protein-coupled receptor signaling pathway may be involved in the pathogenesis of preterm brain injury.