GSE37249
Differential microRNA response to a high-cholesterol, high-fat diet in livers of low and high LDL-C baboons
Dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) expression has been implicated in molecular genetics events leading to the progression and development of atherosclerosis. We hypothesized that miRNA expression profiles differ between baboons with low and high serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations in response to diet, and that a subset of these miRNAs regulate genes relevant to dyslipidemia and risk of atherosclerosis. Overall design: We generated small RNA libraries from baboons differing in their LDL-C response to dietary fat and cholesterol (low LDL-C, n = 3; high LDL-C, n = 3) using liver biopsies collected before and after a high-cholesterol, high-fat (HCHF) challenge diet.  We sequenced the libraries using Next-Generation Illumina sequencing methods, analyzed the data using mirTools software and identified 517 baboon miRNAs: 490 homologous to human and 27 novel miRNAs.  HCHF diet elicited expression of more miRNAs compared to baseline (chow) diet for both low and high LDL-C baboons. Seventeen miRNAs exhibited significant differential expression in response to HCHF diet in high LDL-C baboons compared to nine miRNAs in low LDL-C baboons. Putative miRNA targets were identified with TargetScan/Base tools.  miRNAs significantly targeted more genes in high LDL-C baboons compared to low LDL-C responders.  Further, we identified miRNA isomers and other non-coding RNAs that were differentially expressed in response to the challenge diet.Our discovery of differentially expressed baboon miRNAs and their targets is a fundamental step in understanding the role of non-coding RNAs in the modulation of dsylipidemia.