Genome wide responses of murine lungs to dietary alpha-tocopherol

Free Radic Res. 2007 Jan;41(1):98-109. doi: 10.1080/10715760600935567.

Abstract

Alpha-tocopherol (alpha-T) may affect biological processes by modulating mRNA concentrations. This study screened the responses of approximately 15,000 lung mRNAs to dietary alpha-T in mice. The lung was chosen as the target organ because it is subjected to cyclical variations in oxidant and inflammatory stressors and alpha-T has been implicated in their modulations. The analysis identified approximately 400 mRNAs sensitive to alpha-T status of lungs determined by dietary alpha-T. The female lung transcriptome appears to be more sensitive to the alpha-T status than that of the male lungs. Here, we focus on the induction of 13 cytoskeleton genes by dietary alpha-T because they were similarly induced in the male and the female lungs. Their inductions were confirmed by quantitative-real-time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Immunohistochemical analyses of three of the encoded proteins suggest that they are expressed in lung vasculature and alveolar regions. The data suggest that the lung alpha-T status may modulate cytoarchitecture of lungs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antioxidants / metabolism
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology*
  • Diet*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression / drug effects*
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Lung / drug effects*
  • Lung / physiology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • RNA, Messenger / analysis*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • alpha-Tocopherol / metabolism
  • alpha-Tocopherol / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • RNA, Messenger
  • alpha-Tocopherol