[Analyzing differentially expressed genes in the brain of rat exposed to mercury chloride using cDNA microarray]

This study is to determine differentially expressed genes in the brain of rat exposed to mercury chloride and investigate the molecular mechanism of mercury neurotoxicity using cDNA microarray. The experimental group of rats were treated with 0.5 mg/kg weight of mercury chloride via hypodermic injection. The differentially expressed genes in rat brains after I h of injection were scanned by the cDNA microarray. The gene expression profiles show that there are 742 genes, in which 562 are upregulated and 180 are downregulated. Further analysis by bioinformatic technique disclosed that the differentially expressed genes were involved in many biological processes, which included immuno-response and detoxifcation, transfer and expression of genetic information, cell signalling, neurotransduction, cell proliferation and cell differentiation, apoptosis, etc. The result of analysis indicated these genes might be related to the neurotoxicity of mercury. The investigation of differentially expressed genes using cDNA microarray provides a new approach to further disclose the neurotoxic mechanism of mercury.