Transcription profiling of pancreata, submandibular, and lacrimal glands from NOD-scid and C57Bl/6-scid mice to study the gene expression patterns of nonobese diabetic mice

Prior to the onset of autoimmune destruction, type 1 diabetic patients and an animal model thereof, the nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse, show morphological and functional abnormalities in target organs, which may act as inciting events for leukocyte infiltration. To better understand these abnormalities, but without the complications associated with inflammatory infiltrates, we examined genes expressed in autoimmune target tissues (pancreas, submandibular glands, and lacrimal glands) of NOD/scid mice and of autoimmune-resistant C57BL6/scid mice. Experiment Overall Design: Pancreata (6 weeks old mice), submandibular (9 and 15 weeks), and lacrimal glands (15 weeks) from individual NOD-scid and B6-scid mice were isolated for RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays.