title: Identification of lncRNA expression profile in the spinal cord of mice following spinal nerve ligation-induced neuropathic pain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neuropathic pain that caused by lesion or dysfunction of the nervous system is associated with gene expression changes in the sensory pathway. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to be able to regulate gene expression. Identifying lncRNA expression patterns in the spinal cord under normal and neuropathic pain conditions is essential for understanding the genetic mechanisms behind the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Spinal nerve ligation (SNL) induced rapid and persistent pain hypersensitivity, characterized by mechanical allodynia and heat hyperalgesia. Meanwhile, astrocytes and microglia were dramatically activated in the ipsilateral spinal cord dorsal horn at 10 days after SNL. Further lncRNA microarray and mRNA microarray analysis showed that the expression profiles of lncRNA and mRNA between SNL and sham-operated mice were greatly changed at 10 days. The 511 differentially expressed (>2 fold) lncRNAs (366 up-regulated, 145 down-regulated) and 493 mRNAs (363 up-regulated, 122 down-regulated) were finally identified. The expression patterns of several lncRNAs and mRNAs were further confirmed by qPCR. Functional analysis of differentially expressed (DE) mRNAs showed that the most significant enriched biological processes of up-regulated genes in SNL include immune response, defense response, and inflammation response, which are important pathogenic mechanisms underlying neuropathic pain. 35 DE lncRNAs have neighboring or overlapping DE mRNAs in genome, which is related to Toll-like receptor signaling, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signaling pathway.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings uncovered the expression pattern of lncRNAs and mRNAs in the mice spinal cord under neuropathic pain condition. These lncRNAs and mRNAs may represent new therapeutic targets for the treatment of neuropathic pain.
authors.affiliation: Pain Research Laboratory, Institute of Nautical Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Nantong University, 9 Seyuan Road, Nantong, 226019, Jiangsu, China. jiangbaochun@ntu.edu.cn.|Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China. jiangbaochun@ntu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Bao-Chun
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China. shiwenxingyu@126.com.
authors.forename: Wen-Xing
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Pain Research Laboratory, Institute of Nautical Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Nantong University, 9 Seyuan Road, Nantong, 226019, Jiangsu, China. 442817421@qq.com.|Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China. 442817421@qq.com.
authors.forename: Li-Na
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Pain Research Laboratory, Institute of Nautical Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Nantong University, 9 Seyuan Road, Nantong, 226019, Jiangsu, China. caodeli121@163.com.|Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China. caodeli121@163.com.
authors.forename: De-Li
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Pain Research Laboratory, Institute of Nautical Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Nantong University, 9 Seyuan Road, Nantong, 226019, Jiangsu, China. zhangzhijun6042@163.com.|Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China. zhangzhijun6042@163.com.
authors.forename: Zhi-Jun
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Pain Research Laboratory, Institute of Nautical Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Nantong University, 9 Seyuan Road, Nantong, 226019, Jiangsu, China. gaoyongjing@hotmail.com.|Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China. gaoyongjing@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Yong-Jing
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D008026:Ligation; D008297:Male; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013127:Spinal Nerves / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding; D012333:RNA, Messenger