Analysis of lncRNA and mRNA expression profiles in diabetic peripheral neuropathy based on weighted gene co-expression network analysis

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a common complication of diabetes mellitus. Recent studies have explored the involvement of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in diabetes, but its specific role in DPN development remains unclear. To investigate the association between lncRNAs and DPN, we conducted comprehensive bioinformatics analyses. We obtained gene expression data from the sciatic nerve of 8-week-old and 24-week-old diabetic mice from the Gene Expression Omnibus database (GEO). Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to identify co-expression modules and hub differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and other bioinformatics methods were used to establish the biological processes and functions of the differentially expressed RNAs related to DPN. The identified hub genes were validated using an animal model of DPN and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Two lncRNAs (DIO3OS and A530053G22Rik) and three mRNAs (FGF18, DUSP3, and DUSP9) were identified as potential DPN-related genes, potentially affecting DPN through the MAPK pathway. Five hub genes were identified as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of DPN, based on the GEO database.