Comprehensive analysis of differentially expressed lncRNA, and mRNA and their ceRNA networks in mice with the initial stage acute pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a prevalent digestive disorder with significant morbidity and mortality rates. This study, for the first time, employed high-throughput sequencing on pancreatic tissues from normal and AP mice to identify differentially expressed long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and mRNAs, as well as related signaling pathways, in the early stage of AP. We found 261 lncRNAs and 1,522 mRNAs to be differentially expressed, with Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses revealing gene functions enriched in cellular metabolism, intercellular structure, and positive regulation of inflammation. By constructing lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks, we explored underlying mechanisms and interactions in AP. Notably, knockout of Neat1 in mice inhibited pyroptosis in AP and severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) models, suggesting Neat1's pivotal role in AP pathogenesis. These findings highlight the importance of lncRNAs, particularly Neat1, in AP, offering new insights into SAP pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets. Overall design: To identify differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs, as well as related signaling pathways, in the early stage of acute pancreatitis (AP), we established an AP mouse model by administering 200 µl of cerulein (200 µg/kg/h) 10 times and extracted pancreatic tissue RNA at the moment the modeling was completed.