Effect of the genotoxic human lung carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene and its non-carcinogenic isomer benzo[e]pyrene on transcriptomic profiles in HepaRG cells.

Twenty-eight days after the initial seeding, the terminally differentiated HepaRG cells were treated with 2 µM benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and benzo[e]pyrene (B[e]P) for 72 hours. Following the treatment, the cells were harvested by mild trypsinization, washed in phosphate-buffered saline, and immediately frozen at −80°C for subsequent analyses. Gene expression profiles in the HepaRG cells treated with B[a]P and B[e]P were investigated using Agilent whole genome 8x60K human microarrays according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Twenty-eight days after the initial seeding, the terminally differentiated HepaRG cells were treated with 2µM B[a]P or 2 µM B[e]P. Gene expression profiles in the HepaRG cells treated with BaP and BaP for 72 hours were investigated.