Epigenetic Activation of Circadian Clock Genes Elicits Inflammation in Experimental Murine Dry Eye

Purpose To explore whether circadian clock genes contribute to elicit inflammation in experimental dry eye (EDE).Methods RNA sequencing analyzed mRNA expression patterns in EDE model. RT-qPCR and/or Western blot determined the expression of inflammatory factors and circadian genes during EDE. MethylTarget™ assays determined the promoter methylation levels of Per genes in vivo. Per2 or Per3 knockdown assessed their effects on inflammatory factors in vitro.Results We utilized an intelligently controlled environmental system (ICES) to establish a mouse EDE model. The significant upregulated genes were enriched for circadian rhythms. Therein lied oscillatory and time-dependent upregulation of PER2 and PER3, as well as their promoter hypomethylation during EDE. Silencing PER2 or PER3 significantly decreased inflammatory factor expression and also reversed such increased inflammatory response in azacitidine (AZA) treatment in vitro model.Conclusions Our findings suggest that DNA methylation mediated the upregulation of PER2 and PER3, leading to inflammatory response in EDE.