OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of low-salt diet on gene expression of canine cardiac tissue.

METHODSMicroarray data (GSE17149) of heart tissue from dogs fed with low-salt diet was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The data were analyzed by Qlucore Omics Explorer 3.1, STRING 10.0, Genclip 2.0 and GCBI. The protein-protein interactions (PPI) of the differentially expressed genes in low-salt and control groups were conducted to screen the key node genes between the two groups.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, the gene expression profile of the dog heart tissue was changed in the low-salt diet group, and 1343 (3.12%) differentially expressed genes were found in 43 035 genes. The differentially expressed gene protein interaction analysis revealed a most obvious protein (NFKBIA) as the core, which might be related to inhibiting the differentiation of macrophage-derived foam cell and promoting cholesterol discharge and decomposition.

CONCLUSIONSGene expression of heart tissue in dogs fed with low-salt diet is significantly changed and low-salt diet may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by up-regulating the expression of NFKBIA.