Objectives: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are potentially involved in the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism. The aim of this study was to investigate potential miRNA regulators for serum lipids and blood glucose in gestational diabetes mellitus.
Methods: Plasma samples were obtained from 53 women with GDM and 46 normal pregnant women. Fasting blood glucose and a blood lipid profile were measured. Plasma miRNA expression profiles were analyzed using microarray. To verify the microarray data, the expression of miRNAs was evaluated by real-time PCR. Gene ontology (GO) and genes and genomics (KEGG) pathway enrichment of the predicted target genes of miRNAs were analyzed.
Results: The miRNA expression profiles of plasma samples from healthy and GDM women are distinct. We identified 93 differently expressed miRNAs. Compared with healthy pregnant women, 48 miRNAs including miR-574-5p and miR-3135b exhibited significantly lower expression in plasma samples from GDM patients. The expression of miR-574-5p was significantly correlated with levels of blood glucose and LDL-C; miR-3135b was significantly correlated with HDL-C. Some predicted common target genes of these two miRNAs are associated with the metabolism of glucose and lipids as well as the insulin signaling pathway.
Conclusions: miR-574-5p and miR-3135b may serve as metabolic regulators of glucose and lipids for GDM.
Keywords: GDM; metabolic regulators; miR-3135b; miR-574-5p; microRNA.