Gene expression profiles analysis of the growing rat liver in response to different zinc status by cDNA microarray analysis

Abstract

The effects of zinc on growing rats were characterized using the dietary zinc-deficient (ZD) and Zinc-overdose (ZO) models. Zinc deficiency had negative effects on the host final body weight and liver zinc content, whereas zinc overdose had positive effects. In order to identify the molecular changes in the liver responding to dietary zinc status, cDNA microarrays were used to analyze the expression pattern of 9753 genes in the livers of rats fed ZD and ZO diet for 6 wk, compared with zinc-adequate ZA. The mRNA levels for 62 genes were affected significantly by the ZD diet, whereas 66 gene transcriptions were markedly changed in the ZO diet. Those predominant gene products involved in nitrogen metabolism (glutaminase), carbohydrate metabolism (aldolase), lipid metabolism (stearoyl-CoA desaturase), growth (insulin-like growth factor-binding protein), transcription and translation (zinc-finger protein), immune (natural-killer cell), signal transduction (mitogen- activated protein kinase), and ion transportation (ATPase Na+/K+ transporting peptide) were clustered. In conclusion, a number of mammalian genes related to zinc in the liver were identified. The characterization of the genes and their products will allow a more comprehensive analysis of the role of zinc in metabolism. Furthermore, the mRNA identified could be useful in establishing the mechanisms of zinc in the pleiotropic metabolisms in vivo.

Mechanistic studies of the toxicity of zinc gluconate in the olfactory neuronal cell line Odora

“…When rats were fed a high zinc diet (347.50 mg Zn/kg basis diet, compared to a normal diet level of 35.94 mg Zn/kg basis diet), up-regulated genes included those involving carbohydrate metabolism (e.g. alcohol dehydrogenase ( Adh5) , pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 ( Pdk4) , aldolase C ( Aldoc) ) (Sun et al, 2007). Another study utilizing intratracheal instillation of zinc sulfate in rats was focused on changes in cardiac gene expression, where up-regulation of respiratory/mitochondrial function genes (pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 ( Pdk4 ), acylcoenzyme A dehydrogenase ( Acadvl )), injury/stress response (heme oxygenase 1 ( Hmox1) , tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 3 ( Timp3 )) was reported, as well as and down-regulation of cytoskeletal genes (alpha actin cardiac 1 ( Actc1 ), beta actin ( Actb ), Tropomyosin 4 ( Tpm4 )), checkpoint genes (cyclin D1 ( Ccnd1 ), cyclin D2 ( Ccnd2 )) (Gilmour et al, 2006).…”

Effects of Zinc on Hepatic Antioxidant Systems and the mRNA Expression Levels Assayed by cDNA Microarrays in Rats

“…Zinc is required for the normal growth and development of all animal species including humans, and its deficiency results in a reduced growth rate [24][25][26][27] . The current results also showed that zinc deficiency caused remarkable reductions in the body weight of rats.…”

The effect of excess cobalt on milk fatty acid profiles and transcriptional regulation of SCD, FASN, DGAT1 and DGAT2 in the mammary gland of lactating dairy cows

“…Dietary factors including glucose, fructose, vitamin A, cholesterol, vitamin D, polyunsaturated fatty acids, alcohol and conjugated linoleic acid are known to regulate SCD gene expression [reviewed by Ntambi and Miyazaki (2004)]. Excess iron (Fe) increases the SCD gene expression in the liver of mouse (Pigeon et al., 2001), while zinc (Zn) decreases the gene expression in the liver of rats (Sun et al., 2007). Recently, studies have demonstrated that Cobalt (Co) reduces the proportion of stearoyl‐CoA desaturated fatty acids in milk when supplied in large amounts in both dairy cows (Shingfield et al., 2008; Taugbøl et al., 2008, 2010) and lactating sows (Karlengen et al., In press).…”