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Home / Equine Research Bank / Biology (Basel) / Integrating miRNA, mRNA, and Targeted Metabolomics Analyses ...
Biology2025; 14(11); 1535; doi: 10.3390/biology14111535

Integrating miRNA, mRNA, and Targeted Metabolomics Analyses to Explore the Regulatory Mechanism of Cardiac Remodeling in Yili Horses.

Abstract: Training not only enhances the athletic performance of horses but also improves cardiac structure and function, strengthens cardiovascular adaptability, and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, the consequences of training on equine cardiac structure and function remain unclear. This study investigated the morphological, functional, genetic, and metabolic changes in the hearts of Yili horses divided into three groups: high athletic performance (agility group, AG), low athletic performance (ordinary group, OG), and untrained (untrained group, UN). The results showed remodeling of the cardiac structure and physiological adaptations in AG and OG compared to UN groups, with differences between AG and OG primarily in the left ventricle. To explore the molecular mechanisms underlying these phenotypic changes, transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses (particularly GO and KEGG pathway analyses) were performed to assess differences in gene expression and metabolite levels among the three groups. Our results show that miR-1842, miR-671, miR-106b and miR-18a were differentially expressed in the trained groups (AG group and OG group) compared with the control group that did not receive training. These regulatory factors would regulate PFKFB3 to affect the glycolytic activity mediated by HIF-1, there by promoting glycolysis and changing lactate level. This, in turn, would positively feedback to stabilize HIF-1, thus forming a closed loop for the reprogramming of myocardial energy metabolism. In the AG group, positive effects of cAMP signaling were noticeable. In conclusion, our findings offer new insights into physiological cardiac remodeling in Yili horses by highlighting genetic and metabolomic changes resulting from exercise training.
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Publication Date: 2025-11-01 PubMed ID: 41300325PubMed Central: PMC12650387DOI: 10.3390/biology14111535Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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Overview

  • This study examined how exercise training affects heart structure, function, gene expression, and metabolism in Yili horses with different athletic performance levels.
  • By integrating miRNA, mRNA, and targeted metabolomics data, researchers identified molecular mechanisms that drive beneficial cardiac remodeling and metabolic adaptations in trained horses.

Research Background and Objectives

  • Training improves athletic ability and enhances heart structure and function in horses, reducing cardiovascular disease risk.
  • Despite known benefits, the precise effects of training on equine cardiac structure and function remain unclear, especially at the molecular level.
  • This study aimed to analyze morphological, functional, genetic, and metabolic changes in the hearts of Yili horses with varying athletic performance and training status.
  • Three groups were compared: high-performance trained horses (Agility Group, AG), lower-performance trained horses (Ordinary Group, OG), and untrained horses (Untrained Group, UN).

Key Morphological and Functional Findings

  • Both trained groups (AG and OG) showed remodeling of cardiac structure compared to untrained horses, indicating physiological adaptations induced by exercise.
  • Differences between the AG and OG groups were mainly observed in the left ventricle, a critical heart chamber responsible for pumping oxygenated blood.

Molecular Analyses: Transcriptomics and Metabolomics

  • Transcriptomic (mRNA and miRNA) and targeted metabolomics analyses were conducted to identify genetic and metabolic differences among groups.
  • Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were used to interpret functional implications of differential gene expression and metabolites.
  • Several miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed in trained horses compared to untrained controls:
    • miR-1842
    • miR-671
    • miR-106b
    • miR-18a

Proposed Regulatory Mechanisms

  • These miRNAs regulate the gene PFKFB3, which encodes an enzyme involved in glycolysis (the metabolic pathway for sugar breakdown to produce energy).
  • PFKFB3 regulation affects glycolytic activity mediated by Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 (HIF-1), a critical transcription factor activated under low oxygen conditions and involved in metabolic adaptation.
  • Increased glycolysis elevates lactate levels, which can stabilize HIF-1 activity, creating a positive feedback loop.
  • This feedback loop promotes reprogramming of myocardial (heart muscle) energy metabolism, likely helping the heart adapt to increased energy demands from exercise.
  • Specifically, in the AG group, cAMP signaling pathways showed positive effects, suggesting enhanced signaling mechanisms supporting cardiac function in higher-performing horses.

Conclusions and Significance

  • The study provides novel insights into how training-induced physiological cardiac remodeling occurs in Yili horses.
  • It highlights specific genetic regulators (miRNAs and target genes) and metabolic pathways that work together to improve heart function through energy metabolism reprogramming.
  • Understanding these molecular adaptations can help in developing strategies to enhance equine athletic performance and cardiovascular health.
  • Overall, integrating multi-omics approaches sheds light on complex mechanisms underlying beneficial cardiac remodeling due to exercise training.

Cite This Article

APA
Wang T, Yang X, Ren W, Meng J, Yao X, Chu H, Yao R, Zhai M, Zeng Y. (2025). Integrating miRNA, mRNA, and Targeted Metabolomics Analyses to Explore the Regulatory Mechanism of Cardiac Remodeling in Yili Horses. Biology (Basel), 14(11), 1535. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14111535

Publication

Biology
ISSN: 2079-7737
NlmUniqueID: 101587988
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 14
Issue: 11
PII: 1535

Researcher Affiliations

Wang, Tongliang
  • College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China.
  • Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Horse Breeding and Exercise Physiology, Urumqi 830052, China.
  • Horse Industry Research Institute, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China.
Yang, Xixi
  • College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China.
Ren, Wanlu
  • College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China.
  • Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Horse Breeding and Exercise Physiology, Urumqi 830052, China.
  • Horse Industry Research Institute, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China.
Meng, Jun
  • College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China.
  • Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Horse Breeding and Exercise Physiology, Urumqi 830052, China.
  • Horse Industry Research Institute, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China.
Yao, Xinkui
  • College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China.
  • Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Horse Breeding and Exercise Physiology, Urumqi 830052, China.
  • Horse Industry Research Institute, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China.
Chu, Hongzhong
  • Xinjiang Yili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture Animal Husbandry Station, Urumqi 835000, China.
Yao, Runchen
  • Xinjiang Yili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture Animal Husbandry Station, Urumqi 835000, China.
Zhai, Manjun
  • College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China.
  • Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Horse Breeding and Exercise Physiology, Urumqi 830052, China.
Zeng, Yaqi
  • College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China.
  • Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Horse Breeding and Exercise Physiology, Urumqi 830052, China.
  • Horse Industry Research Institute, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China.

Grant Funding

  • 32202667 / National Natural Science Foundation of China Youth Program
  • 2022A02013-1 / Major Science and Technology Project of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
  • ZYYD2025JD02 / Central Guidance Project for Local Science and Technology Development-(Research on the Regulation Mechanism of Horse Breeding and Athletic Performance)
  • 2024D01B40 / The Youth Science Fund of the Natural Science Foundation of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
  • XJMFY202401 / Key Laboratory of Horse Breeding and Exercise Physiology of Xinjiang, Project

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Yang L, Shen Z, Song L, Lu Z, Zeng Y, Wang J, Ren W, Yao X, Meng J. Integrated targeted metabolomics and transcriptomics analysis reveals heterogeneity of subcutaneous and pericardial adipose tissues in Yili horses. Food Chem (Oxf) 2026 Jun;12:100365.
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