LncRNA RMST Regulates Neuronal Apoptosis and Inflammatory Response via Sponging miR-150-5p in Parkinson’s Disease

Introduction: LncRNA rhabdomyosarcoma 2-associated transcript (RMST) serves as a key regulator in neural stem cell fate and is involved in the progression of different neurological diseases. In this research, the serum level and clinical value of RMST in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients were detected, and the underlying mechanism was explored. Methods: Ninety-nine PD patients and 93 healthy individuals were collected for clinical experiments. SH-SY5Y cells were treated with the dopaminergic neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP + ) to establish PD cell models. qRT-PCR was used for the detection of mRNA levels. CCK-8 and flow cytometry were used to detect neuronal viability and apoptosis. The target relationship of RMST with miR-15a-5p was confirmed applying luciferase reporter assay. Results: RMST was present at high levels in both serum of PD patients and PD cell models. Serum RMST had a certain clinical value for the diagnosis of PD with the AUC of 0.892 at a cutoff value of 1.225. Serum RMST was positively associated with the levels of TNF-α (r = 0.421, p < 0.001) and IL-1β (r = 0.567, p < 0.001) in PD patients. Knockdown of RMST alleviated the apoptosis and inflammatory response of SH-SY5Y cells induced by MPP + . miR-150-5p was the target gene of RMST and less expressed in the clinical serum samples and PD cell models. Conclusion: Serum RMST serves as a promising biomarker for the diagnosis of PD. RMST downregulation may regulate the occurrence and development of PD through inhibiting neuron cell apoptosis and the release of inflammatory cytokines via targeting miR-150-5p.