Microarray analysis of lung long non-coding RNAs in cigarette smoke-exposed mouse model

Several studies have demonstrated the function of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in various biological processes, yet their role underlying the susceptibility to cigarette smoke (CS)-induced airway inflammation remains limited. In the present study, we aimed to profile the expression of lncRNAs and mRNAs in CS-exposed mice. C57BL/6 mice were assigned into a single cigarette-smoking machine with or without CS exposure for 4 weeks, followed by lung tissue harvest and RNA isolation. Microarray analysis identified 108 lncRNAs and 119 mRNAs with differential expression levels in CS-exposed mouse lung tissue compared with those in control mice. The expression patterns of several lncRNAs were further confirmed by qRT-PCR. GO and pathway analyses showed that the altered mRNAs were mainly related to the processes of immune response, defense response and cell chemotaxis, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and chemokine signaling pathway. Moreover, a single lncRNA may co-expressed with several mRNAs, and so was the mRNA. Our findings uncovered the expression profile of lncRNAs and mRNAs in the lungs of CS-exposed mice, which may offer new insights into pathogenesis of CS-associated airway inflammatory disorders.