The involvement of hsa_circ_0000417 in the development of hypospadias by regulating AR.

Background: Congenital hypospadias is a common congenital malformation of the urinary system in male children. However, the role of circRNA in congenital hypospadias remains unknown.

Methods: Differentially expressed circRNAs and mRNAs were identified by RNA sequencing. GO and KEEG analysis were performed to uncover the key function and pathways. The interaction networks were constructed and analyzed by competing endogenous (ce)RNA analysis. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and qRT-PCR were used to detect the expressions of androgen receptor (AR) and hsa_circ_0000417 in normal and hypospadias tissues. Further, the correlation between hsa_circ_0000417 and other clinical indicators were calculated.

Results: Compared with normal foreskin tissues, 1329 circRNAs and 978 mRNAs were significantly upregulated, 3176 circRNAs and 614 mRNAs were significantly downregulated in hypospadias tissues, respectively. MAPK and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways play important roles in congenital hypospadias. The expression of AR and hsa_circ_0000417 in 68 hypospadias tissues was significantly lower than that in 68 normal foreskin tissues (P < 0.05). The expression of the AR, as analyzed using IHC, was consistent with the qPCR results. A significant correlation was noted between the expression of AR and hsa_circ_0000417 in 68 clinical samples (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the expression level of hsa_circ_0000417 was associated with the incidence of other diseases and the location of the hypospadias site (P < 0.05). Expression of hsa_circ_0000417 was significantly downregulated in hypospadias patients without other diseases (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: Hsa_circ_0000417 may regulate the expression of AR, and the expression of hsa_circ_0000417 in normal foreskin tissues is associated with the occurrence of hypospadias.