MicroRNA expression profiles in different tissues from normolipidemic hamster and high-fat diet induced hyperlipidemic hamster (Mesocricetus auratus)

Hyperlipidemia is one of high risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), whose regulation is known to be mediated also by microRNA-mediated mechanisms. Therefore, the analysis of transcriptomics data would gain insights into the molecular mechanisms implicating microRNAs (miRNAs) behind the atherogenic hyperlipidemia. The goal of our study was to profile the specific miRNAs expression associated with atherogenic hyperlipidemia. To this aim, we performed miRNAs microarray analysis for different tissues (liver, left ventricle of the heart, small intestine and blood mononuclear cells) obtained from the experimental model of high-fat diet induced hyperlipidemic hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). The microarray data were obtained using miRCURY LNA microRNA arrays 7 th generation platform with miRBase 19 (Exiqon, Denmark), using total RNA isolated from hyperlipidemic (HL) and normolipidemic (NL) hamsters? tissues and blood cells. The animals were fed for 12 weeks either standard rodent chow supplemented with 3% cholesterol and 15% unsalted butter (HL) or standard rodent chow (NL), with free access to food and water. MicroRNA microarray analysis was performed for the liver (LIV), the small intestine (INT), the left ventricle of the heart (LVH) and blood circulating mononuclear cells (BMC) collected from 12-week high-fat diet induced hyperlipidemic (HL) hamsters and normal chow fed normolipidemic (NL) hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus).