title: Microarray based gene expression analysis of Sus Scrofa duodenum exposed to zearalenone: significance to human health.
abstract: Zearalenone (ZEA) is a secondary metabolite produced by Fusarium species. ZEA was proved to exert a wide range of unwanted side effects, but its mechanism of action, particularly at duodenum levels, remains unclear. In our study based on the microarray technology we assessed the alteration of gene expression pattern Sus scrofa duodenum which has been previously exposed to ZEA. Gene expression data was validated by qRT-PCR and ELISA. The gene expression data were further extrapolated the results to their human orthologues and analyzed the data in the context of human health using IPA (Ingenuity Pathways Analysis).
  
  
  
  Using Agilent microarray technology, we found that gene expression pattern was significantly affected by ZEA exposure, considering a 2-fold expression difference as a cut-off level and a p-value < 0.05. In total, we found 1576 upregulated and 2446 downregulated transcripts. About 1084 genes (764 downregulated and 751 overexpressed) were extrapolated to their human orthologues. IPA analysis showed various altered key cellular and molecular pathways. As expected, we observed a significant alteration of immune response related genes, MAPK (mitogen activate protein kinases) pathways or Toll-Like Receptors (TLRs). What captured our attention was the modulation of pathways related to the activation of early carcinogenesis.
  
  
  
  Our data demonstrate that ZEA has a complex effect at duodenum level. ZEA is able to activate not only the immune response related genes, but also those relate to colorectal carcinogenesis. The effects can be more dramatic when connected with the exposure to other environmental toxic agents or co-occurrence with different microorganisms.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, "Iuliu Hatieganu", University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Marinescu 23 Street, No. 23, 400012, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. cornelia.braicu@umfcluj.ro.|Department of Functional Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncological Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Republicii Street, No. 34-36, 401015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. cornelia.braicu@umfcluj.ro.
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Braicu
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, "Iuliu Hatieganu", University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Marinescu 23 Street, No. 23, 400012, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Roxana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cojocneanu-Petric
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, "Iuliu Hatieganu", University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Marinescu 23 Street, No. 23, 400012, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Ancuta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jurj
authors.affiliation: MEDFUTURE -Research Center for Advanced Medicine, University of Medicine and Farmacy Iuliu-Hatieganu, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gulei
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Biology, National Institute for Research and Development for Biology and Animal Nutrition, Calea Bucuresti No. 1, Balotesti, Ilfov, 077015, Romania.
authors.forename: Ionelia
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Taranu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Biology, National Institute for Research and Development for Biology and Animal Nutrition, Calea Bucuresti No. 1, Balotesti, Ilfov, 077015, Romania.
authors.forename: Alexandru Mihail
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Gras
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Biology, National Institute for Research and Development for Biology and Animal Nutrition, Calea Bucuresti No. 1, Balotesti, Ilfov, 077015, Romania.
authors.forename: Daniela Eliza
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Marin
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, "Iuliu Hatieganu", University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Marinescu 23 Street, No. 23, 400012, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. ioana.neagoe@umfcluj.ro.|Department of Functional Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncological Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Republicii Street, No. 34-36, 401015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. ioana.neagoe@umfcluj.ro.|MEDFUTURE -Research Center for Advanced Medicine, University of Medicine and Farmacy Iuliu-Hatieganu, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. ioana.neagoe@umfcluj.ro.
authors.forename: Ioana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Berindan-Neagoe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004386:Duodenum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D006801:Humans; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D034421:Sus scrofa; D059467:Transcriptome; D015025:Zearalenone / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal; D015025:Zearalenone
keywords: Duodenum; Extrapolation to human; Health; Microarray; Sus scrofa; Zearalenone