Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, largely due to the unsuccessful recovery of cardiac tissue following hypoxic events. The severity of these events varies based on differences in an individual’s genetic makeup. Despite extensive research, the specific genes involved in mediating the response to a hypoxic event remain unclear. Our study aims to identify these genetic markers that will be crucial for early intervention in isolating populations at high risk for hypoxic events.

To achieve this, we induced hypoxic stress on hypoxia-sensitive (CD1) and hypoxia-resistant (C57BL/6J) mice strains. We performed a microarray on cardiac tissue samples from these mice to quantify the expression patterns of coding and non-coding (lncRNAs) genes and then compared the differential gene expression patterns between the two mice strains. Our data revealed that the most significant lncRNA differential expression patterns are involved in “protein secretion”. Specifically, the Gm40082 lncRNA exhibited an increase in expression in response to hypoxia. Gm40082 overlaps with the coding gene Fhip1a and may play a role in regulating its gene expression in response to hypoxia. These lncRNAs can serve as potential genetic markers for individuals at higher mortality risk from cardiovascular events, aiding in the development of preventative and targeted therapies.