title: Long non-coding RNA expression profile in the kidneys of male, low birth weight rats exposed to maternal protein restriction at postnatal day 1 and day 10.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are involved in a variety of biological functions and aberrantly expressed in many types of diseases, are required for postnatal development. In this study, we aimed to investigate the lncRNA profiles in low birth weight (LBW) rats with reduced nephron endowment induced by the restriction of maternal protein intake. LBW by reduced nephron endowment is a risk factor for hypertension and end-stage renal disease in adulthood.
  
  
  METHODS
  Kidneys were obtained from LBW rats fed a low-protein diet throughout gestation and lactation as well as from normal control rats born from dams fed normal protein diets at postnatal day 1 (p1) and 10 (p10). The total number of glomeruli in the kidneys was counted at p10. LncRNA expression profiles were analyzed by sequencing and screening using the Agilent Rat lncRNA Array. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis of these lncRNAs confirmed the identity of some genes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total number of glomeruli per kidney at p10 was significantly lower in LBW rats than in controls. A total of 42 lncRNAs were identified to be significantly differentially expressed, with fold-changes ≥2.0, between the two groups. According to correlation analysis between the differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs involved in kidney development, we randomly selected a number of lncRNAs for comparison analysis between LBW and control kidneys at the two time-points, p1 and p10, using qRT-PCR. Three lncRNAs (TCONS_00014139, TCONS_00014138, and TCONS_00017119), which were significantly correlated with the mRNA expression of mitogen-activated protein kinase 4, were aberrantly expressed in LBW rats, compared with controls, at both p1 and p10.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LncRNAs are aberrantly expressed in the kidneys of LBW rats, compared with controls, during nephron development, which indicates that lncRNAs might be involved in impaired nephron endowment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China; Institute of Pediatric Research, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yanhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xueqin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Mengxia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pediatric Research, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pediatric Research, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Meifang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pediatric Research, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xiaozhong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001724:Birth Weight; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D011247:Pregnancy; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding / Q000235:genetics*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding
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