Mouse microRNA signatures in joint ageing and post-traumatic osteoarthritis

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated mice serum and joint microRNA expression profiles in ageing and osteoarthritis to elucidate the role of microRNAs in the development and progression of disease, and provide biomarkers for ageing and osteoarthritis. DESIGN: Whole joints and serum samples were collected from C57BL6/J male mice and subjected to small RNA sequencing. Groups used included; surgically-induced post-traumatic osteoarthritis, (DMM; 24 months-old); sham surgery (24 months-old); old mice (18 months-old); and young mice (8 months-old). Differentially expressed microRNAs between the four groups were identified and validated using real-time quantitative PCR. MicroRNA differential expression data was used for target prediction and pathway analysis. RESULTS: In joint tissues, miR-140–5p, miR-205–5p, miR-682, miR-208b-3p, miR-499–5p, miR-455–3p and miR-6238 were differentially expressed between young and old groups; miR-146a-5p, miR-3474, miR-615–3p and miR-151–5p were differentially expressed between DMM and Sham groups; and miR-652–3p, miR-23b-3p, miR-708–5p, miR-5099, miR-23a-3p, miR-214–3p, miR-6238 and miR-148–3p between the old and DMM groups. The number of differentially expressed microRNAs in serum was higher, some in common with joint tissues including miR-140–5p and miR-455–3p between young and old groups; and miR-23b-3p, miR-5099 and miR-6238 between old and DMM groups. We confirmed miR-140–5p, miR-499–5p and miR-455–3p expression to be decreased in old mouse joints compared to young, suggesting their potential use as biomarkers of joint ageing in mice. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-140–5p, miR-499–5p and miR-455–3p could be used as joint ageing biomarkers in mice. Further research into these specific molecules in human tissues is now warranted to check their potential suitability as human biomarkers of ageing.