Identifying the NT-proBNP-related lncRNAs and miRNAs in cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury by RNA-sequencing

Abstract

Abstract Cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CS-AKI) is a severe clinical condition that imposes substantial social and economic burdens worldwide. Imbalances in water and salt homeostasis and inflammatory responses are considered significant factors contributing to CS-AKI. Our previous research reported that preoperative N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) served as a reliable predictor of CS-AKI. Additionally, accumulating evidence has demonstrated that dysregulated expression of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and microRNA (miRNA) is implicated in the pathological processes of CS-AKI. However, the roles and molecular mechanisms through which NT-proBNP regulates lncRNA and miRNA in CS-AKI remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to identify the expression profiles of lncRNAs and miRNAs in the BNP-high and BNP-stable groups, as well as the AKI and non-AKI groups, using RNA-sequencing. Our analysis identified 105 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) and 138 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) in the BNP grouping. Interestingly, we found 7 common DELs and DEMs in both the BNP grouping and AKI grouping. Through comprehensive analysis of the Gene Ontology (GO) function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment results of the target genes of these 7 DELs and DEMs, along with relevant literature reports, we identified miR-135a-5p, miR-138-5p, miR-143-3p, and miR-206 as potential key players in CS-AKI, particularly in mediating water and salt metabolism and inflammatory responses. These findings offer new insights into the research direction and potential treatment strategies for CS-AKI.