RNA-seq profiling of cervical tissue in a lipopolysaccharide-induced rat model of preterm birth

This study aims to investigate the alterations in cervical remodeling and the underlying molecular mechanisms in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced rat model of preterm birth through RNA sequencing. The results demonstrate that LPS triggers preterm birth by activating inflammatory and bradykinin pathways, disrupting extracellular matrix stability, and promoting cervical insufficiency. On gestational day 17, pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were intraperitoneally administered with either 100 μg/kg LPS or an equal volume of PBS. Cervical tissues were collected 12 hours post-injection for RNA sequencing, with four biological replicates per group.