Project description:A series of two color gene expression profiles obtained using Agilent 44K expression microarrays was used to examine sex-dependent and growth hormone-dependent differences in gene expression in rat liver. This series is comprised of pools of RNA prepared from untreated male and female rat liver, hypophysectomized (‘Hypox’) male and female rat liver, and from livers of Hypox male rats treated with either a single injection of growth hormone and then killed 30, 60, or 90 min later, or from livers of Hypox male rats treated with two growth hormone injections spaced 3 or 4 hr apart and killed 30 min after the second injection. The pools were paired to generate the following 6 direct microarray comparisons: 1) untreated male liver vs. untreated female liver; 2) Hypox male liver vs. untreated male liver; 3) Hypox female liver vs. untreated female liver; 4) Hypox male liver vs. Hypox female liver; 5) Hypox male liver + 1 growth hormone injection vs. Hypox male liver; and 6) Hypox male liver + 2 growth hormone injections vs. Hypox male liver. A comparison of untreated male liver and untreated female liver liver gene expression profiles showed that of the genes that showed significant expression differences in at least one of the 6 data sets, 25% were sex-specific. Moreover, sex specificity was lost for 88% of the male-specific genes and 94% of the female-specific genes following hypophysectomy. 25-31% of the sex-specific genes whose expression is altered by hypophysectomy responded to short-term growth hormone treatment in hypox male liver. 18-19% of the sex-specific genes whose expression decreased following hypophysectomy were up-regulated after either one or two growth hormone injections. Finally, growth hormone suppressed 24-36% of the sex-specific genes whose expression was up-regulated following hypophysectomy, indicating that growth hormone acts via both positive and negative regulatory mechanisms to establish and maintain the sex specificity of liver gene expression. For full details, see V. Wauthier and D.J. Waxman, Molecular Endocrinology (2008)
Project description:In order to establish a rat embryonic stem cell transcriptome, mRNA from rESC cell line DAc8, the first male germline competent rat ESC line to be described and the first to be used to generate a knockout rat model was characterized using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis.
Project description:A rexinoid, targretin (TRG) and two retinoids, 9-cis retinoic acid (9cRA) and 4-hydroxyphenylretinamide (4HPR) were examined for their effects on gene expression in rat mammary gland, liver, and lung tissues. The chemopreventive effects of these agents have largely been attributed to their ability to interact with retinoic acid receptors (RAR) and/or retinoid X-receptors (RXR). TRG interacts with the RXR receptors. 9cRA interacts with both the RAR and RXR receptors, while 4HPR has a moderate affinity primarily for RAR gamma. Based on previously performed mammary chemoprevention studies, TRG (150mg/Kg diet), 9cRA (100 mg/Kg diet), and 4HPR (792 mg/Kg diet), were administrated to rats continually in their diet for 7 days. Tissue - and agent - specific expression differences were determined by comparing tissues from treated rats with those form rats administered a control diet. There were significantly more changes seen associated with TRG than 9cRA or 4HPR. Only a limited number of expression changes were found with 4HPR treatment. For each organ, TRG and 9cRA treated tissues clustered closely together, whereas 4HPR treated tissues clustered with the tissues from the control diet group. In contrast to 9cRA treatment, TRG treatment altered genes that involved fatty acid metabolism and modulation of various cytochromes P450 in the liver clearly demonstrating the very disparate nature of these two retinoids. These expression signatures could provide useful pharmacodynamic biomarkers for retinoidsâ treatment and chemoprevention. Experiment Overall Design: Agent : The 3 agents were obtained from NCI Chemical Repository (Bethesda, MD), Targretin, 9-cis retinoic acid, and 4-hydroxyphenylretinamide. Experiment Overall Design: Rat :Female Sprague-Dawley rats were used (Harlan Sprague-Dawley, Inc. Indianapolis, IN) Experiment Overall Design: Treatment: Starting at 100 days of age, the rats received treatment of TRG (60 mg/kg BW, gavage), 9cRA (100 mg/kg diet), or 4HPR (782 mg/kg diet) for 7 days. At the end of the 7-day treatment, normal mammary gland, liver and lung tissues were collected.