MicroRNA-572 improves early post-operative cognitive dysfunction by down-regulating neural cell adhesion molecule 1

PLoS One. 2015 Feb 13;10(2):e0118511. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118511. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Post-operative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a commonly-seen postoperative complication in elderly patients. However, the underlying mechanisms of POCD remain unclear. miRNAs, which are reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of the nervous system diseases, may also affect POCD. In this study, miRNA microarray technology was used to analyze the circulating miRNA expression profile of POCD patients. Among the altered miRNAs, miR-572 had the greatest decrease, which was also verified in vivo in rat POCD model. Further analysis found that miR-572 could regulate the expression of NCAM1 in the hippocampal neurons and interfering miR-572 expression could facilitate the restoration of cognitive function in vivo. Moreover, clinical correlation analysis found that the miR-572 expression was associated with the incidence of POCD. Collectively, miR-572 is involved in the development and restoration of POCD and it may serve as a biological marker for early diagnosis of POCD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Animals
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Cognition Disorders / genetics*
  • Cognition Disorders / psychology*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Down-Regulation
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules / genetics*
  • Postoperative Complications / genetics*
  • Postoperative Complications / psychology*
  • RNA Interference
  • Rats

Substances

  • MIRN-572 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules

Grants and funding

This study was supported by National Natural Science Foundation No. 81350001 (XYY), Program of the Shanghai Science and Technology Committee No. 11JC1415500 (XYY), and Program of Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau No. 2009059 (XYY). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.