Expression data from Cerebral Cortex or Hippocampus of COX-1 or COX-2 null mice

To further understand the physiological role of cyclooxygenase (COX), the critical enzyme involved in the production of eicosanoids from arachidonic acid, we performed microarray analysis of gene expression in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of mice deficient in COX-1 (COX-1-/-) or COX-2 (COX-2-/-). Expression of lipid (ATP citrate lyase, acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase, hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase) and homocysteine (methionine adenosyltransferase, S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase) metabolism genes was increased in the cerebral cortex of COX-2 -/- mice. Further, expression of GABAergic neurotransmission genes (GABA transporter 3, GABA-A receptor subunit ?1) was altered in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of COX-2 -/- mice. A COX isoform specific effect was observed in the expression of Janus Kinase (JAK) 1 and 2. COX-1 -/- mice exhibited an increase in JAK1 expression while COX-2 -/- mice exhibited a decrease in JAK2 expression, an observation consistent with a previously demonstrated COX isoform specific effect on the expression of NF-kB. In summary, this study demonstrates the wide ranging effects of genetic deletion of COX isoforms in the mouse brain and suggests that inhibition of COX activity may alter the profile of gene expression in specific areas of the brain. We used nylon cDNA microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression in the Cerebral Cortex and Hippocampus of COX-1 and COX-2 null (knockout) mice Keywords: brain, cerebral cortex, hippocampus, COX-1 WT, COX-1 KO, COX-2 WT, COX-2 KO and COX-2 heterozygous Mice were sacrificed at 12 weeks of age and the brain was dissected into cerebral cortex and hippocampus. We analyzed the overall gene expression from the cortex and hippocampus of COX-1 +/+, COX-1 -/-, COX-2 +/+, COX-2 -/-, and COX-2 +/-