Title:Identification of Competing Endogenous RNA Networks and Potential
Therapeutic Drugs for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Volume: 2
Author(s): Xin Su, Danping Zhang and Hong Zhu*
Affiliation:
- Department of Gastroenterology, Jiangsu Province Hospital and The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University,
Nanjing, China
Keywords:
Gastroesophageal reflux disease, competing endogenous RNA, potential therapeutic agent, differentially expressed genes, bioinformatic analysis, miRNAs.
Abstract:
Background: The diagnosis and cure rate of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is low,
and its pathogenesis remains unclear.
Aims: In this study, we aimed to construct the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) of GERD by
bioinformatics and explore the potential therapeutic drugs for GERD.
Methods: The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were got by limma package and visualized by
ggplot2 and pheatmap package in R version 4.1.3 from the GSE63401 gene microarray data. The protein-
protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed by the STRING database. The hub genes and
subnetwork modules were obtained by Cytoscape software. The microRNA and lncRNA were predicted
by the miRTarBase and miRNet databases to construct the ceRNA network. Potential drugs targeting
DEGs were screened by the CMAP database.
Results: In this study, a total of 571 GEDs were obtained, including 462 up-regulated genes and 109
down-regulated genes, which mainly participated in the leukocyte migration process and the cytokinecytokine
receptor interaction pathway. Seventeen miRNAs and three key lncRNAs involved in regulating
hub genes were screened through miRTarBase and miRNet databases. Finally, nine ceRNA networks
were obtained, including TTN-AS1/NEAT1/XIST - miR-139-5p - CXCR4 axis, TTNAS1/
NEAT1/XIST - miR-185-5p - IL1B axis and TTN-AS1/NEAT1/XIST - miR-495-3p - LYN axis.
In addition, five potential drugs (Pimavanserin, BMS-182874, CL-218872, Losartan, and Laropiprant)
for GERD were obtained through the CMAP database.
Conclusion: We constructed nine GERD-related ceRNA networks and screened five potential therapeutic
drugs for GERD, providing a theoretical basis for further research on the pathogenesis of GERD.
