Genome-wide analysis of transcription factors in hippocampal tissue of cerebral palsy rats after acupuncture treatment.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture has been shown to be effective in treating cerebral palsy (CP), reducing muscle tension, and improving motor function. However, macro-screening of key gene sets and gene-causal interaction networks for their therapeutic mechanisms have not been studied. METHODS: Applying high-throughput sequencing technology, this research discussed differentially expressed mRNAs and differential alternative splicing pre-mRNAs at the transcriptome level in rats with CP treated with acupuncture and moxibustion, and analyzed the regulatory mechanisms of these differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in CP. Changes in the levels of transcripts and alternative splicing in the hippocampi of CP rats after acupuncture treatment were analyzed. Global genes that were differentially expressed and alternative splicing events (ASEs) and regulated ASEs (RASEs) in acupuncture treatment of CP rats were analyzed. RESULTS: The RNA-seq data of acupuncture-treated rat hippocampi revealed 198 DEGs, 125 of which were related to CP, and the transcriptional regulation of RNA polymerase II was up-regulated; moreover, there were 1168 significantly different ASEs associated with CP and transcriptional regulation. There were 14 overlapping gene expression changes in transcription factors (TFs) and DEGs. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that 14 TFs were differentially expressed and a large number of TFs underwent differential alternative splicing. It is speculated that these TFs and the translated proteins of the two different transcripts produced by the differential alternative splicing of these TFs may play corresponding functions in acupuncture treatment of young rats with CP by modulating the differential expression of their target mRNAs.

Association between peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ gene polymorphism and susceptibility to northwest dryness syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between gene polymorphism of peroxisome proliferator- activated receptor (PPAR) and susceptibility to northwest dryness syndrome (NDS). METHODS: The polymorphisms of 11 PPARγ gene loci rs10510418, rs12633551, rs1373640, rs17036188, rs2921190, rs4135247, rs4135275, rs4135283, rs6768587, rs709156, and rs7615916 were detected in 249 patients with NDS and 260 patients with non-NDS (control group) by using Snapshot single-nucleotide polymorphism typing technology. RESULTS: All locus detections were in accordance with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium test. Compared with the control group, rs2921190 genotype frequency showed statistical difference in the NDS group (P < 0.05). Two-two comparison result showed that CC genotype frequency in the NDS group was higher than that in the control group. CT and TT genotype distribution frequencies showed differences between the two groups. The rare allele frequency in the NDS group was lower than that of the control group (P < 0.01). Multi-factor logistic regression analysis showed that the age and genotype entered the regression equation. The subjects in the age bracket 30-55 and 45-45 were 1.796 and 1.561 times likely, respectively, than those in other age brackets to contract NDS,. The patients with CC genotype was only 0.524 times likely than those with CT/TT genotype to suffer from NDS. CONCLUSION: PPARγ gene rs2921190 polymorphism was correlated with the susceptibility to NDS.