Gene expression profiles in rat lung after inhalation exposure to C60 fullerene or ultrafine NiO particles

Gene expression profiling of the rat lung after whole-body inhalation exposure to C60 fullerene and ultrafine nickel oxide (Uf-NiO) particles as a positive control were employed to gain insights into these molecular events. Groups of 9-week-old male Wistar rats (n = 5 per group/time point) were exposed to clean air (negative control), C60 fullerene or Uf-NiO (positive control) suspension in a whole-body exposure chamber. Rats were exposed to aerosol for 6 hours a day, for 4 weeks (5 days a week). Standard chow diet was provided ad libitum during non-exposure hours. After exposure period for 4 weeks, rats were housed within polycarbonate cages at a controlled temperature of 22 °C with a chow diet ad libitum, and dissected at 3 days and 1month (33 days) post-exposure. Lungs of anesthetized rats were perfused with physiological saline, excised, and used for C60 fullerene or nickel burdens in lungs (n = 4, left lungs), TEM analysis (n = 1, whole lungs) and microarray analysis (n = 4, right lungs).