Identifying lipid metabolism genes in pig liver after clenbuterol administration

Clenbuterol is a repartition agent (beta 2-adrenoceptor agonist) that can decrease fat deposition and increase skeletal muscle growth at manageable dose. To better understand the molecular mechanism of Clenbuterol's action, GeneChips and real-time PCR were used to compare the gene expression profiles of liver tissue in pigs with/without administration of Clenbuterol. Metabolism effects and the global gene expression profiles of liver tissue from Clenbuterol-treated and untreated pigs were conducted. Function enrichment tests showed that the differentially expressed genes are enriched in glycoprotein protein, plasma membrane, fatty acid and amino acid metabolic process, and cell differentiation and signal transduction groups. Pathway mining analysis revealed that physiological pathways such as MAPK, cell adhesion molecules, and the insulin signaling pathway, were remarkably regulated when Clenbuterol was administered. Gene prioritization algorithm was used to associate a number of important differentially expressed genes with lipid metabolism in response to Clenbuterol. Genes identified as differentially expressed in this study will be candidates for further investigation of the molecular mechanisms involved in Clenbuterol's effects on adipose and skeletal muscle tissue.