Altered microRNA expression following sciatic nerve resection in dorsal root ganglia of rats

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small, non-coding RNAs (similar to 22 nucleotides) that negatively regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally, either through translational inhibition or degradation of target mRNAs. We uncovered a previously unknown alteration in the expression of miRNAs in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) at 1, 4, 7, and 14 days after resection of the sciatic nerve in rats using microarray analysis. Thirty-two significantly upregulated and 18 downregulated miRNAs were identified in the DRG at four time points following sciatic nerve injury. The expression of four consecutively deregulated miRNAs, analyzed by real-time Taqman polymerase chain reaction, was in agreement with the microarray data (upregulated: miR-21, miR-221; downregulated: miR-500, miR-551b). The potential targets for these miRNAs, altered after sciatic nerve resection, are involved mainly in nervous system development, multi-cellular organismal development, and the regulation of cellular processes. This study demonstrated a different involvement of miRNAs in the DRG after resection of the sciatic nerve in a rat model, and it may also contribute in illustrating the molecular mechanisms responsible for nerve regeneration.