Date of Award

6-4-2024

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Biological Science

First Advisor

Mashkoor Choudhry

Abstract

Acute lung injury (ALI) and the subsequent development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are among the leading causes of post-burn morbidity and mortality. MiRNAs are small non-coding RNA molecules that are known to regulate gene expression and help regulate lung homeostasis. In this study, we profiled four anti-inflammatory miRNAs (miR-146a, miR-150, miR-194, and miR-671) in lung tissue following an alcohol and burn injury. We found that miR-146a and miR-671 were significantly downregulated in lungs one day after combined injury, leading to increased lung inflammation and pathology. Biological sex did not have an effect on this pathophysiological process. We also demonstrated that in vivo restoration of miR-146a significantly reduced lung inflammation one day after combined injury. These findings suggest that miR-146a expression drives lung inflammation and could be a potential therapeutic target to reduce lung inflammation following alcohol and burn injury.

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