The in vitro test battery of the European research consortium ESNATS (novel stem cell-based test systems) has been used to screen for potential human developmental toxicants. As part of this effort, the migration of neural crest (MINC) assay has been used to evaluate chemical effects on neural crest function. It identified some drug-like compounds in addition to known environmental toxicants. The hits included the HSP90 inhibitor geldanamycin, the chemotherapeutic arsenic trioxide, the flame-retardant PBDE-99, the pesticide triadimefon and the histone deacetylase inhibitors valproic acid and trichostatin A. Transcriptome changes triggered by these substances in human neural crest cells were recorded and analysed here to answer three questions: (1) can toxicants be individually identified based on their transcript profile; (2) how can the toxicity pattern reflected by transcript changes be compacted/ dimensionality-reduced for practical regulatory use; (3) how can a reduced set of biomarkers be selected for large-scale follow up? Transcript profiling allowed clear separation of different toxicants and the identification of toxicant types in a blinded test study. We also developed a diagrammatic system to visualize and compare toxicity patterns of a group of chemicals by giving a quantitative overview of altered superordinate biological processes (e.g. activation of KEGG pathways or overrepresentation of gene ontology terms). The transcript data were mined for potential markers of toxicity, and 39 transcripts were selected to either indicate general developmental toxicity or distinguish compounds with different modes-of-action in read-across. In summary, we found inclusion of transcriptome data to largely increase the information from the MINC phenotypic test.
Identification of transcriptome signatures and biomarkers specific for potential developmental toxicants inhibiting human neural crest cell migration.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesMost commonly used models of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are diets based on specific gene knockouts or represent extreme manipulations of diet. We have examined the effects of modest increased caloric intake and high dietary unsaturated fat content on the development of NASH in male rats using a model in which overfeeding is accomplished via intragastric infusion of liquid diets as a part of total enteral nutrition. Male Sprague dawley rats were fed diets 5% corn oil containing diets at 187 Kcal/kg3/4/d or fed 70% corn oil containing diets at 220 Kcal/kg3/4/d for a period of 3 weeks. Hepatic gene expression were assessed at the end of the study. Our results indicate that overfeeding of high unsaturated fat diets leads to pathological, endocrine and metabolic changes characteristic of NASH patients and is associated with increased oxidative stress and TNF-a.
A new model for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in the rat utilizing total enteral nutrition to overfeed a high-polyunsaturated fat diet.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesEDI3 was shown to be relevant in cell migration, adhesion and spreading. Gene expression analysis was performed to determine the effect of EDI3 silencing in MCF7 cells in order to gain insight into potential underlying mechanisms.
EDI3 links choline metabolism to integrin expression, cell adhesion and spreading.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesSoy foods have been suggested to have both positive health benefits and potentially adverse effects largely as a result of their content of isoflavone phytoestrogens. Since soy protein isolate (SPI) contains isoflavones, in addition to purported health benefits, safety concerns have been raised regarding the use of SPI and soy formulas, because of potential estrogenic actions during the neonatal period, including the potential for reproductive toxicity, infertility, and the possibility of increased risk for development and recurrence of estrogen sensitive cancers such as breast cancer. In the current study, we used a rat model to compare the effects of SPI with those of 17b-estradiol (E2), on global gene expression profiles and morphology in the female rat mammary gland. Rats were either fed AIN-93G diets containing casein (CAS) or SPI beginning on postnatal day (PND) 30.
Mammary gland morphology and gene expression differ in female rats treated with 17β-estradiol or fed soy protein isolate.
Sex
View SamplesThe current study was designed to determine if dietary fatty acid concentration and composition affects the development and progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Male SD rats were overfed diets low (5%) or high (70%) fat diets via total enteral nutrition where the fat source was olive oil (monounsaturated), or corn oil (polyunsaturated). Overfeeding 5% corn oil produced little steatosis relative to feeding 5% olive oil. This was associated with lower fatty acid synthesis and reduced SREBP-c signaling in the 5% corn oil group. Overfeeding 70% fat diets increased steatosis and lead to increased liver necrosis in the 70% corn oil but not olive oil group. Increased injury after feeding polyunsaturated fat diets was linked to peroxidizability of hepatic free fatty acids and triglycerides and appearance of peroxidaized lipid products HETES and HODES previously linked to clinical nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.
Dietary fat source alters hepatic gene expression profile and determines the type of liver pathology in rats overfed via total enteral nutrition.
Sex
View SamplesIn order to properly understand whether xenoestrogens act as estrogens, it is essential to possess a solid portrait of the physiological effects of exogenous estradiol. Because the estrogen-dependent gene expression is one of the primary biomarkers of estrogenic action, we have assessed effects of three doses of exogenous estradiol (0.1, 1.0 and 10 g/kg of body weight/day) on the mammary gland morphology and gene expression profiles by microarray analysis of prepubertal male and female rats of both sexes compared to untreated controls. Estradiol was administered subcutaneously with minipumps from weaning at PND21 to the end of the experiment at PND33. The data suggest that the male mammary is a sensitive tissue for estrogenicity assessment.
Mammary gland morphology and gene expression signature of weanling male and female rats following exposure to exogenous estradiol.
Sex
View SamplesTGR5 (Gpbar1) is a G protein-coupled receptor responsive to bile acids (BAs), which is expressed in different non-parenchymal cells of the liver, including biliary epithelial cells, liver-resident macrophages, sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) and activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Mice with targeted deletion of TGR5 are more susceptible towards cholestatic liver injury induced by cholic acid-feeding and bile duct ligation, resulting in a reduced proliferative response and increased liver injury. Conjugated lithocholic acid (LCA) represents the most potent TGR5 BA ligand and LCA-feeding has been used as a model to rapidly induce severe cholestatic liver injury in mice. Thus, TGR5 knockout (KO) mice and wildtype littermates were fed a diet supplemented with 1%LCA for 84 hours. Liver injury and gene expression changes induced by the LCA-diet revealed an enrichment of pathways associated with inflammation, proliferation and matrix remodelling. Knockout of TGR5 in mice caused upregulation of endothelin-1 (ET-1) expression in the livers. Analysis of TGR5-dependent ET-1 signalling in isolated LSECs and HSCs demonstrated that TGR5 activation reduces ET-1 expression and secretion from LSECs and triggers internalization of the ET-1 receptor in HSCs dampening ET-1 responsiveness. Thus, we identified two independent mechanisms by which TGR5 inhibits ET-1 signalling and modulates portal pressure.
The G Protein-Coupled Bile Acid Receptor TGR5 (Gpbar1) Modulates Endothelin-1 Signaling in Liver.
Sex
View SamplesRNA-seq analysis was performed between WT and alphaT-cat KO mouse cerebella aiming to discover gene transcripts altered by the loss of alphaT-cat These altered gene transcripts could be associated with several neurologic disease-relevant pathways Overall design: Total RNA extracted of cerebellar tissue (n=3) from the brains of WT ad alphaT-cat KO mice
αT-catenin in restricted brain cell types and its potential connection to autism.
Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesIn order to study the transcriptional response of the fly brain to sugar and complete starvation, we first confirmed that 24 hours of sugar and complete starvation in flies is sufficient to elicit a homeostatic response. Subsequently, we used holidic medium to study effects of deficiency of a specfic macronutrient- cabohydrate in the food. To do so , we generated RNA- seq libraries from brains of 5 day old mated adult male flies maintained on different feeding regimes and used the sequencing data to identify diffrentially expressed genes in the brain under different feeding regimes. Overall design: For each condition, we used RNA prepared from 120-130 manually dissected adult fly brains maintained under complete starvation or sugar starvation regime for 24 hours.
Sugar Promotes Feeding in Flies via the Serine Protease Homolog scarface.
Sex, Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesEstrogen receptor (ER) expression and proliferative activity are established prognostic factors in breast cancer. In a search for additional prognostic motives we analyzed the gene expression patterns of 200 tumors of patients who were not treated by systemic therapy after surgery using a discovery approach. After performing hierarchical cluster analysis, we identified co-regulated genes related to the biological process of proliferation, steroid hormone receptor expression, as well as B cell and T cell infiltration. We calculated metagenes as surrogate for all genes contained within a particular cluster and visualized the relative expression in relation to time to metastasis with principal component analysis. Distinct patterns led to the hypothesis of a prognostic role of the immune system in tumors with high expression of proliferation associated genes. In multivariate Cox regression analysis the proliferation metagene showed a significant association with metastasis-free survival of the whole discovery cohort (Hazard Ratio (HR) 2.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.40-3.46). The B cell metagene showed additional independent prognostic information in carcinomas with high proliferative activity (HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.46 - 0.97). A prognostic influence of the B-cell metagene was independently confirmed by multivariate analysis in a first validation cohort enriched for high grade tumors (n=286, HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.62-0.98), and a second validation cohort enriched for younger patients (n=302, HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.7-0.97). Thus, we could demonstrate in three cohorts of untreated node-negative breast cancer patients, that the humoral immune system plays a pivotal role for metastasis-free survival of carcinomas of the breast.
The humoral immune system has a key prognostic impact in node-negative breast cancer.
Disease stage
View Samples