Background: Nude mouse has been widely used to study photoaging induced by long-term chronic UV exposure. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been previously identified in several diseases. However, the roles of circRNAs in photoaging and potential regulatory mechanisms remain unclear.

Objectives: To identify specific circRNAs differentially expressed in photoaged skin and investigate their potential role in aging.

Materials and Methods: In this study, we screened out the microarray data to profile the expression of circRNAs. The circRNAs were analyzed by Gene Ontology(GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes（KEGG）biological pathway.

Results: 36 circRNAs were identified to be differentially expressed between the UV group and control group (fold change > 1.5; P < 0.05), including 6 upregulated and 30 downregulated circRNAs. GO and KEGG biological pathway analyses indicated that the changes in circRNAs were associated with cancer, inflammation, oxidative stress, and metabolism.

Conclusions: This present study revealed a circRNAs expression profiling in vivo. These findings not only provide a new possibility to prevent the occurrence of photoaging but also have therapeutic values for photoaging and associated skin diseases.