Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis of Hub Genes and Pathways Associated with a Compression Model of Spinal Cord Injury in Rats

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious nervous system condition that can cause lifelong disability. The aim of this study was to identify potential molecular mechanisms and therapeutic targets for SCI. MATERIAL/METHODS: We constructed a weighted gene coexpression network and predicted which hub genes are involved in SCI. A compression model of SCI was established in 45 Sprague-Dawley rats, which were divided into 5 groups (n=9 per group): a sham operation group, and 1, 3, 5, and 7 days post-SCI groups. The spinal cord tissue on the injured site was harvested on 1, 3, 5, and 7 days after SCI and 3 days after surgery in the sham operation group. High-throughput sequencing was applied to investigate the expression profile of the mRNA in all samples. Differentially expressed genes were screened and included in weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA). Co-expressed modules and hub genes were identified by WGCNA. The biological functions of each module were investigated using the Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes databases. RESULTS: According to the RNA-seq data, a total of 1965 differentially expressed genes were screened, and WGCNA identified 10 coexpression modules and 5 hub genes. Module function analysis revealed that SCI was associated with immune response, cell division, neuron projection development, and collagen fibril organization. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed dynamic changes in a variety of biological processes following SCI and identified 5 hub genes via WGCNA. These results provide insights into the molecular mechanisms and therapeutic targets of SCI.