Microarray analysis of human neuroblastoma cells exposed to aluminum, B-amyloid or the B-amyloid aluminum complex

A typical pathological feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the appearance in the brain of senile plaques made up of B-amyloid (AB) and neurofibrillary tangles. Ad is also associated with an abnormal accumulation of some metal ions and we have recently shown that one of these, aluminum (Al), plays a relevant role in affecting AB aggregation and neurotoxicity. In this study, employing a microarray analysis of 29,166 genes, we investigated the effects induced by the exposure to the AB-Al complex on the gene expression profile of a cell line of neuronal-like cells, the SH-SY5Y. Results from the microarray essay indicate that, compared to AB or Al alone, exposure to AB-Al produced selective changes in gene expression. Some of the genes selectively over or under expressed are directly related to AD. Analysis used a neuronal cell lines, the SH-SY5Y, exposed to either AB, the AB-Al complex or Al alone. The SH-SY5Y without treatment were used that a control. For the exposure to AB, six replicates were performed (three dye swap and three non-dye swap), while for exposure to AB-Al and Al two replicates each were made (one dye swap and one non-dye swap).