Mouse abdominal aortic aneurysm RNA-Seq

To investigate molecular mechanisms underlying abdominal aortic aneurysm, RNA-seq was performed on aortic tissues from healthy and aneurysmal mice. PCA revealed clear separation between the groups, indicating substantial transcriptomic divergence. Differentially expressed genes in abdominal aortic aneurysm were enriched in inflammation, extracellular matrix degradation, and oxidative stress pathways, suggesting heme-driven vascular injury. Key heme/iron metabolism genes, including heme-oxygenase 1, were upregulated, while Fth1 and Lcn2 were downregulated, reflecting enhanced heme degradation and iron mobilization. Overall, these findings reveal coordinated transcriptional changes linking heme exposure to inflammation, iron handling, and vascular remodeling in abdominal aortic aneurysm.