Profiles of extracellular RNA carried in mesenteric lymph from rodent models of critical illness

Extracellular RNAs play a role in cell-to-cell communication during physiological and disease processes but have rarely been studied in mesenteric lymph (ML). We performed RNA sequencing analysis on plasma, ML, and ML’s extracellular vesicle (ML-EV) and triglyceride-rich lipoprotein (ML-TRL) fractions, obtained from rodent models of critical illness. Each sample type had a distinct RNA profile. ML contained more RNA per volume and a larger proportion of tRNA fragments than plasma. The ML-EVs were enriched with microRNAs. ML, carried known intestinal RNAs and in a sepsis model was significantly enriched with bacterial RNA sequences.