Genome‐wide analysis of acute traumatic spinal cord injury‐related RNA expression profiles and uncovering of a regulatory axis in spinal fibrotic scars

Objectives Long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are critical for posttranscriptional and transcriptional regulation in eukaryotic cells. However, data on lncRNA expression in the lesion epicentres of spinal tissues after acute traumatic spinal cord injury (ATSCI) are scarce. We aimed to identify lncRNA expression profiles in such centres and predict latent regulatory networks. Materials and methods High‐throughput RNA‐sequencing was used to profile the expression and regulatory patterns of lncRNAs, microRNAs and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in an ATSCI C57BL/6 mouse model. Chromosome distributions, open reading frames (ORFs), transcript abundances, exon numbers and lengths were compared between lncRNAs and mRNAs. Gene ontology, KEGG pathways and binding networks were analysed. The findings were validated by qRT‐PCRs and luciferase assays. Results Intronic lncRNAs were the most common differentially expressed lncRNA. Most lncRNAs had
lncENSMUST00000195880‐miR‐21a‐5p‐Smad7 was constructed as an interactive regulatory network. Overexpression of lncENSMUST00000195880 inhibited miR‐21a‐5p but promoted Smad7, thereby inhibiting activation of the TGF‐β/Smad signaling pathway.