Research on Circular RNA Expression Profiles in the Photoaging Mouse Model.

Background: Nude mouse has been widely used to study photoaging induced by long-term chronic UV exposure. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been previously identified in several diseases. However, the roles of circRNAs in photoaging and potential regulatory mechanisms remain unclear.

Objectives: To identify specific circRNAs differentially expressed in photoaged skin and investigate their potential role in aging.

Materials and methods: In this study, we screened out the microarray data to profile the expression of circRNAs. The circRNAs were analyzed by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) biological pathway.

Results: 36 circRNAs were identified to be differentially expressed between the UV group and control group (fold change > 1.5; P < 0.05), including 6 upregulated and 30 downregulated circRNAs. GO and KEGG biological pathway analyses indicated that the changes in circRNAs were associated with cancer, inflammation, oxidative stress, and metabolism.

Conclusions: This present study revealed a circRNAs expression profiling in vivo. These findings not only provide a new possibility to prevent the occurrence of photoaging but also have therapeutic values for photoaging and associated skin diseases.