Microarray analysis of insulin-regulated gene expression in the liver: the use of transgenic mice co-expressing insulin-siRNA and human IDE as an animal model

Int J Mol Med. 2007 Dec;20(6):829-35.

Abstract

To characterize the changes in global gene expression in the livers of H1/siRNAinsulin-CMV/hIDE transgenic (Tg) mice in response to the reduced bioavailability of insulin, total RNA extracted from the livers of 20-week-old Tg and non-Tg mice was converted to cDNA, labeled with biotin and hybridized to oligonucleotide microarrays. The microarray results were confirmed by a real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Two hundred and fifty-one and 73 genes were up- and down-regulated, respectively by insulin in H1/siRNAinsulin-CMV/hIDE Tg mice compared to the controls. Genes encoding for physiological processes, extracellular defense response and response to biotic stimuli were significantly over-represented in the up-regulated group. Among the down-regulated transcripts, those encoding for extracellular matrix proteins were dramatically over-represented, followed by those related to monooxygenase and oxidoreductase activities. The major genes in the up-regulated categories included Egr1, Saa2, Atf3, DNAJB1 and cCL2, whereas those in the down-regulated categories were Cyp17a1, Adn, Gadd45g, Eno3 and Moxd1. These results indicate that the microarray analysis identifies several gene functional groups and individual genes that respond to a sustained reduction in the insulin levels in the livers of Tg mice. These results also suggest that microarray testing is a useful tool for the better understanding of insulin-regulated diabetes-related diseases.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Gene Expression Profiling*
  • Gene Expression Regulation*
  • Humans
  • Insulin / genetics
  • Insulin / metabolism*
  • Insulysin / genetics
  • Insulysin / metabolism*
  • Liver / physiology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism*

Substances

  • Insulin
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Insulysin