Effect of Baicalin on Transcriptome Changes in Piglet Vascular Endothelial Cells Induced by a Combination of Glaesserella parasuis and Lipopolysaccharide

Abstract

Glaesserella parasuis causes porcine Glässer's disease and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces acute inflammation and pathological damage. Baicalin has antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory functions. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play key regulatory functions during bacterial infection. However, the role of lncRNAs in the vascular dysfunction induced by a combination of G. parasuis and LPS during systemic inflammation and the effect of baicalin on lncRNA expression induced in porcine aortic vascular endothelial cells (PAVECs) by a combination of G. parasuis and LPS have not been investigated. In this study, we investigated the changes in lncRNA and mRNA expression induced in PAVECs by G. parasuis, LPS, or a combination of G. parasuis and LPS, and the action of baicalin on lncRNA expression induced in PAVECs by the combination of G. parasuis and LPS. Our results showed 133 lncRNAs and 602 genes were differentially expressed when PAVECs were stimulated with the combination of G. parasuis and LPS, whereas 107 lncRNAs and 936 genes were differentially expressed when PAVECs were stimulated with the combination of G. parasuis and LPS after pretreatment with baicalin. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed the dominant signaling pathways triggered by the combination of G. parasuis and LPS were the tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway, phosphatidylinositol signaling system, and inositol phosphate metabolism. Protein–protein interaction network analysis showed the differentially expressed target genes of the differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) were related to each other. A coexpression analysis indicated the expression levels of the DELs were co-regulated with those of their differentially expressed target genes. This is the first study to systematically compare the changes in lncRNAs and mRNAs in PAVECs stimulated with a combination of G. parasuis and LPS. Our data clarified the mechanisms underlying the vascular inflammation and damage triggered by G. parasuis and LPS, and it may provide novel targets for the treatment of LPS-induced systemic inflammation.