LncRNA RPL13p5 gene expression promotes insulin resistance in patients with gestational diabetes.

BACKGROUND Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a universal disease caused by a combination of environmental and genetic factors and resulting in abnormal signaling pathway function and eventual islet cell insufficiency. According to co-expression profile network data between messenger RNA (mRNA)-long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in our laboratory, we selected lncRNA RPL13P5 as a candidate lncRNA related to the GDM insulin signaling pathway and which is upregulated in GDM patients. METHODS The study included a gestational diabetes group (n=25) and normal pregnancy group (n=19). Expression was detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and showed the expression levels of lncRNA RPL13P5 in peripheral blood were significantly different between the two groups (P<0.05). The correlation between the homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and lncRNA expression was analyzed. RESULTS The lncRNA RPL13p5 forms a co-expression strand with the TSC2 gene via the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. The sequencing of lncRNA RPL13P5 showed high expression and the qPCR validation results were consistent with the sequencing results. An association was observed between the expression level of lncRNA RPL13P5 and other clinicopathological features of GDM. CONCLUSIONS LncRNA RPL13P5 forms a co-expression chain with the TSC2 gene through the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and becomes part of the process of insulin resistance in GDM.