Transcriptome analysis of an oxidative stress-induced rat renal carcinogenesis model

An iron chelate, ferric nitrilotriacetate (Fe-NTA), induces oxidative renal tubular damage that subsequently leads to renal cell carcinoma in rodents. Here we used gene expression microarrays to find target oncogenes in this model. Network analysis of the gene expression microarray data revealed the involvement of beta-catenin pathway in the induced cancers. Keywords: dose response, disease state analysis Carcinogenesis protocol was performed using specific pathogen-free male Wistar rats or male F1 hybrid rats between Fischer344 and Brown-Norway strains. A total of 10 microarrays (Rat Genome 230 2.0; 31,999 genes; Affymetrix Inc., Santa Clara, CA) were used for the screening purpose; two for each group of untreated control, Fe-NTA treatment for 1 week, Fe-NTA treatment for 3 weeks, Fe-NTA-induced RCCs with neither peritoneal invasion nor metastasis and Fe-NTA-induced RCCs with pulmonarymetastasis.