Expression of LncRNA KCNQ1Ot1 in diabetic nephropathy and its correlation with MEK/ERK signaling pathway

Xuangeng Huang; Junhua Tan; Yingrong Li; Hongye Su; Meiying Huang; Feifan Huang; Peng Huang

Expression of LncRNA KCNQ1Ot1 in diabetic nephropathy and its correlation with MEK/ERK signaling pathway

Am J Transl Res. 2022 Mar 15;14(3):1796-1806. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Xuangeng Huang¹, Junhua Tan², Yingrong Li¹, Hongye Su¹, Meiying Huang², Feifan Huang², Peng Huang²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University Nanning, Guangxi, China.
² Department of Nephrology, The Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities Baise, Guangxi, China.

PMID: 35422925
PMCID: PMC8991120

Abstract

Objective: To explore the expression of LncRNA KCNQ1OT1 in diabetic nephropathy (DN), and its correlation with MEK/ERK signaling pathway.

Methods: 148 patients with type 2 diabetes in our hospital were selected as research subjects, including 83 patients with simple type 2 diabetes (T2D group) and 65 patients with type 2 diabetes with DN (DN group). Another 50 non-diabetic patients were enrolled as the control group. The expressions of LncRNA KCNQ1OT1 and MEK/ERK signaling pathway related molecules in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of the three groups of subjects were detected and their correlations were analyzed. In addition, 30 Wistar rats were divided into a control group, diabetes group and DN model group, and the expression of LncRNA KCNQ1OT1 and MEK/ERK signal pathway-related molecules in kidney tissue of the three groups was detected and compared.

Results: The relative expression of LncRNA KCNQ1OT1, MEK-5 and ERK2 in the control group was lower than that of the T2D group and DN group (P<0.05), and the relative expression of LncRNA KCNQ1OT1 in T2D group was lower than that of DN group (P<0.05). The expression of LncRNA KCNQ1OT1 was positively-correlated with MEK-5 and ERK2 (P<0.05). The relative expression of LncRNA KCNQ1OT1, MEK-5, and ERK2 in renal tissues of the DN group was higher than those in the control group and diabetes group (P<0.05).

Conclusion: The expression of LncRNA KCNQ1OT1 in PBMCs of DN patients is abnormally increased, and may be a biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. In addition, an abnormal increase of LncRNA KCNQ1OT1 is associated with the activation of the MEK/ERK signaling pathway.

Keywords: LncRNA KCNQ1OT1; MEK/ERK signaling pathway; diabetic nephropathy.