Comparative transcriptome profiling of the lumbosacral dorsal root ganglia reveals sexually dimorphic gene expression in a murine model of coronavirus-induced neurodegeneration
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Neuroinflammation of the central nervous system (CNS) triggers long-lasting neurodegenerative changes associated with the development of neurogenic dysfunction in the pelvic organs. We previously described the symptoms of voiding dysfunction in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) induced by a coronaviral infection with mouse hepatitis virus (MHV). The aim of the current study was to identify immune, inflammatory and neuronal changes in the lumbosacral (L6-S2) dorsal root ganglia (DRG) innervating the lower urinary tract (LUT) after severe neurodegeneration in the CNS. METHODS: Adult C57BL/6 male (N=18) and female (N=18) mice received either an intracranial injection of MHV (coronavirus-induced encephalomyelitis, CIE group), or sterile saline (control group). Dorsal root ganglia were collected from mice of both sexes at 1 and 4 weeks, followed by isolation of total RNA and bulk RNA sequencing. RESULTS: ). Among the pathways upregulated in males but downregulated in females at both time points were phagosome formation pathway, neutrophil extracellular trap signaling, and hepatic fibrosis pathway. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed a differential expression of immune, inflammatory, and neural DEGs in sensory ganglia of male and female mice undergoing CNS neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. The obtained results suggest a functional role of sex-dependent sensory interoception in the development of neurogenic LUTS in a coronavirus-induced murine model of MS.
DOI: 10.62347/slke7419
Author: Taylor C Foley
Institution: University of Colorado Anschutz
Language: English
Subfield: Urology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Award: G2976098555
OpenAlex ID: W4411909908