Gene expression in mouse liver in response to krill powder

The effect of krill powder, a mixed source of protein and n-3 PUFAs from Antarctic Krill (Euphausia superba), on hepatic gene expression was analyzed in CBA/J mice. Mice were fed a low-fat control diet or a 3% (w/w) krill powder low-fat diet for three months. Gene expression profiling on liver samples revealed that the krill powder supplemented diet modulated a large number of pathways compared to the control diet, and we focused on the genes involved in metabolic processes. Pathways involved β-oxidation, glucose metabolism, and amino acid catabolism were downregulated. In contrast, genes involved in the mitochondrial electron transport chain were upregulated. Thus, a krill powder supplemented diet had potent and specific effects on energy metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation at the gene level. This indicates that krill powder supplementation could be an approach to prevent age-related decline in mitochondrial respiratory chain function and weight loss. Tissues were collected from mice at five months of age (three months of consuming control or test diets); Fourteen microarrays total: two treatments x seven arrays per treatment (one individual mouse per microarray)