Dihydrotestosterone induced changes in gene expression in primary and immortalized human corneal epithelial cells

Genome-wide analysis of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) induced changes in gene expression in primary and immortalized human corneal epithelial cells. Analysis of regulation of primary and immortalized human corneal epithelial cells by dihydrotestosterone at gene expression level. The hypothesis tested in the present study was that the androgen-eye interaction in ocular surface epithelial cells like corneal cells is influenced by androgens through regulation of the expression of multiple genes. Results provide important information of the differential regulation and comparitive analysis of numerous genes in response to dihydrotestosterone incubation in primary and immortalized human corneal epithelial cells. Total RNA was obtained from primary and immortalized human corneal epithelial cells treated for 5 days with 10 nM dihydrotestosterone (n=3) or vehicle (n=3). The RNA was then used with Illumina HumanHT-12 v3 Expression BeadChips to determine the effect of DHT on gene expression in the primary human corneal cells grown in our laboratory and the immortalized human corneal epithelial cell line developed in Dr. Rheinwald's laboratory [Rheinwald et al. MCB, 22 (14): 5157. (2002)] and charecterized in Dr. Ilene Gibson's laboratory [Gipson et al. IOVS, 44 (6): 2496. (2003)].