A bioinformatics analysis of acute pancreatitis based on gene expression microarray and drug screening

Objective To screen out differentially expressed genes( DEGs) and related candidate therapeutic drugs for acute pancreatitis( AP) using the bioinformatics method. Methods High-throughput microarray datasets( GSE109227 and GSE65146) associated with AP in mice were downloaded from gene expression omnibus,and GEO2 R was used to screen out DEGs. Database for Annotation,Visualization and Integrated Discovery was used to perform gene ontology and pathway enrichment analysis. Protein-protein interaction( PPI) was established in String database and visualized by Cytoscape,and then subnetwork modules and hub genes were screened out. The microRNAs associated with the hub genes were predicted and candidate drugs were screened out using Comparative Toxicogenomics Database( CTD).Results A total of 130 upregulated and 16 downregulated DEGs were screened out in the high-throughput microarray datasets GSE109227 and GSE65146. DEGs were mainly involved in the biological processes such as inflammatory response,neutrophil chemotaxis,tumor necrosis factor-mediated cellular response,and positive regulation of gene expression,and they were also involved in the signaling pathways of extracellular matrix-receptor interaction,regulation of actin cytoskeleton,leukocyte transendothelial migration,and focal adhesion. A total of 12 hub genes and 6 subnetwork modules were screened out in the PPI network. The microRNAs including miR-199 a-5 p and miR-1-3 p might regulate the post-transcriptional regulation of key genes. Genistein,resveratrol,and quercetin which were screened out from CTD database could reduce the expression of key genes. Conclusion Related genes screened out by the bioinformatics method may play an important role in the development of AP and can be used as the basis for drug screening.