LncRNA NBAT1 affects the progression of diabetic retinopathy by targeting miR-140-3p

Abstract Objectives Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a serious threat to vision, with rising prevalence worldwide. Non-coding RNAs play a role in DR development. This study investigates how the lncRNA NBAT1/miR-140-3p axis regulates DR. Methods NBAT1 expression levels in serum were measured using RT-qPCR. Binding sites between miR-140-3p and NBAT1 were predicted using the LncRNASNP2 database. To simulate DR in vitro , a high glucose (HG)-induced ARPE-19 cell model was established. The expressions of NBAT1 and miR-140-3p under HG conditions were detected and the regulatory effect of NBAT1 on miR-140-3p was examined by dual luciferase reporter assay. After overexpressing NBAT1 and miR-140-3p in the HG model, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels were measured by ELISA. Results NBAT1 was significantly upregulated in DR patients compared to those with diabetes alone. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.7745 indicates its diagnostic potential for DR. Under HG condition, NBAT1 expression increased while miR-140-3p decreased. Dual luciferase reporter assay confirms that NBAT1 negatively regulates miR-140-3p. HG induction promoted inflammatory cytokine release in ARPE-19 cells, an effect that was amplified by NBAT1 overexpression. Importantly, transfection with miR-140-3p mimics reversed the pro-inflammatory effects induced by NBAT1. Conclusions NBAT1 is a risk factor for DR. In vitro studies show that NBAT1 worsens inflammatory responses in DR by negatively regulating miR-140-3p.