Serum miRNA expression profiles in suckling piglets and weaning piglets. Sus scrofa

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) in serum are very stable and specific. Moreover, serum miRNAs are non-destructive and convenient. Studies have shown that the changes of serum miRNAs are closely relative to the pathological stresses and diseases. Our previous studies suggested that weaning stress induced the abnormal miRNA transcriptome in the intestine of piglets. In this project, we will further screen serum miRNA expression in piglets induced by weaning stress using miRNA microarray. Microarrays containing 422 porcine unique miRNA probes were employed to identify differences in the expression patterns of the miRNA between weaning piglets at 4 d after weaning and suckling piglets at the same days old. A total of 115 differentally expressed miRNAs were found,therein 63 miRNAs upregulated and 52 miRNA downregulated; 64 miRNAs are statistically significant but have low signals (signal 0.01); the remaining 132 miRNAs have not detected signals. Overall design: In the study presented here, two treatements from weaning piglets at 4 d after weaning and from sucking piglets on the same days as the weaning piglets. For each treatment, 4 biological total RNA samples were pooled with equal contribution.