Gene expression changes in human hepatocytes exposed to VX (O-ethyl S-[2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl] methylphosphonothiolate)

Organophosphorus compounds induce hepatotoxicity through currently unknown mechanisms, which need to be unraveled by a comprehensive and systematic approach such as genome-wide gene expression analysis. We used microarrays to study gene expression changes in human hepatocytes after exposure to VX, and identified pathways underlying these changes. Human hepatocytes were exposed to sublethal concentrations (0, 0.1, 10 μM) of VX. RNA were extracted at different timepoints (0, 6 h) after VX exposure and hybridized to Affymetrix microarrays. Four biological repeats were used for each condition.