Long non-coding RNA SNHG1 predicts disease severity of acute pancreatitis and stimulates pancreatic cell apoptosis and inflammatory response

Background: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common digestive emergency, requiring early prediction and recognition. The study examined the clinical value of long non-coding RNA SNHG1 in AP, and explored its related mechanism for AP. Methods: A total of 288 AP patients were grouped based on AP severity. AR42J cells were treated with 100nM caerulein to stimulate AP in vitro, and the cell viability and apoptosis were tested. qRT-PCR was performed for mRNA detection. Logistic regression analysis was done to identify influence factors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was generated for diagnostic value evaluation. The targets of SNHG1 or miR-140-3p were predicted using online prediction tolls, and were verified via luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay. Results: High expression levels of SNHG1 were detected in the serum of AP patients, and it can differentiate AP cases from healthy people with the AUC of 0.899. Severe AP cases had high values of SNHG1, which was independently related to AP severity. SNHG1 knockdown relieved caerulein-induced AR42J cell apoptosis and inflammatory response. MiR-140-3p interacted with SNHG1, and reversed the role of SNHG1 in caerulein-induced AR42J cell injury. RAB21 was a candidate target gene of miR-140-3p, and was at high expression in AP cell models. Conclusion: SNHG1 may be a promising biomarker for the detection of AP, and serves as a potential biological marker for further risk stratification in the management of AP. SNHG1 knockdown can relieve inflammatory responses and pancreatic cell apoptosis by absorbing miR-140-3p.