LncRNA ZNF667-AS1 inhibits inflammatory response and promotes recovery of spinal cord injury via suppressing JAK-STAT pathway

J.-W. Li, Y. Kuang, L. Chen, J.-F. Wang

Department of Spinal Surgery, the People’s Hospital of Rizhao City, Rizhao, China. wjfdoc@126.com

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• Orthopedics

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the role of lncRNA ZNF667-AS1 in the recovery of spinal cord injury (SCI), and to investigate its underlying mechanism.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mice were randomly assigned to the SCI group, the sham group and the lncRNA ZNF667-AS1 group, with 10 mice in each group. With Infinite Horizon device at a dose of 80 Kdyn, mice in the SCI group and the lncRNA ZNF667-AS1 group experienced SCI by an acute hit on the C5 spinous process. Before animal procedures, mice in the lncRNA ZNF667-AS1 group were additionally injected with overexpression lentivirus of lncRNA ZNF667-AS1. On the contrary, mice in the sham group only received laminectomy. After successful construction of the SCI model in mice, grip strength was accessed. LncRNA ZNF667-AS1 expression in spinal cord tissues before and after SCI was detected by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR), respectively. Meanwhile, the protein expression levels of relative genes in Janus Kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) pathway were detected by Western blot.

RESULTS: Grip strength of forelimb in the SCI group recovered significantly slower than that of the sham group. With the prolongation of SCI, the expression of lncRNA ZNF667-AS1 was gradually decreased. However, the expression levels of JAK2, STAT3 and iNOS were upregulated in a time-dependent manner. In addition, mice in the lncRNA ZNF667-AS1 group presented remarkable grip strength recovery of forelimb after SCI.

CONCLUSIONS: LncRNA ZNF667-AS expression is gradually downregulated after SCI. Meanwhile, it inhibits the inflammatory response and promotes SCI recovery via suppressing the JAK-STAT pathway.

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