GENE EXPRESSION OF microRNAs IN BREAST NEOPLASMS IN CAT.
Contraceptive, feline, miRNAs, mammary tumor.
Most mammary tumors in felines are malignant and have a high mortality rate, making it essential to develop new tools for early diagnosis. MiRNAs, small molecules that destabilize in the presence of several pathologies, including cancer, have diagnostic potential. This study aims to detect the expression levels of miRNAs in cats with mammary neoplasms, comparing those that used contraceptives with those that did not, as well as healthy cats. The samples were collected at the Veterinary Hospital (HOVET/ISPA/UFRA) and stored in autoclaved cryotubes with RNAlater. Samples were collected from three cats, divided into two groups: Group With Contraceptive (CA) and Group Without Contraceptive (SA). The samples underwent RNA extraction at the Molecular Biology Laboratory of ISPA/UFRA, using the TRIzol LS® reagent. RNA quantification was performed with a BioDrop spectrophotometer, and purification was assessed by A260/280 and A260/230 ratios. Samples were amplified in duplicate by qRT-PCR for miRNAs let-7a, miR-29b, miR-21, miR-191, miR-200b, miR-200c, miR-484b, and miR-10b, using the Power SYBR® Green Master Mix kit, following the manufacturer's recommendations. All qRT-PCR reactions will occur in the CFX96 TouchTM Real-Time Detection System thermal cycler. Potential diagnostic biomarkers, such as let-7a, miR-191, miR-21, and miR-484, were identified. However, further studies are needed, as this is the first work to investigate miRNAs in any type of feline cancer.