Differential expression of miRNA in stretched rat alveolar epithelial cells. Rattus norvegicus

Cyclic stretch of alveoli is characteristic of mechanical ventilation, and is postulated to be partly responsible for the lung injury and inflammation in ventilator induced lung injury. We propose that miRNAs may regulate some of the stretch response and, therefore, hypothesized that miRNAs would be differentially expressed between stretched and unstretched rat alveolar epithelial cells (RAECs). Overall design: RAECs were isolated and cultured to express type I epithelial characteristics, after which they were equibiaxially stretched to 25% change in surface area at 15 cycles/minute for 1 or 6 hrs, or served as unstretched controls, and miRNA were extracted (n = 4 for all groups).