Gene expression changes after hypoxic preconditioning in rat hepatocytes.

Background: Hypoxic preconditioning can protect hepatocytes against hypoxic injury, but its mechanism has not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to profile gene expression patterns involved in hypoxic preconditioning and probable mechanism at the level of gene expression.

Methods: Hepatocytes were divided into 2 groups: control group and hypoxic preconditioning group. Biotin-labeled cRNA from the control group and the hypoxic preconditioning group was hybridized by oligonucleotide microarray. Genes that were significantly associated with hypoxic preconditioning were filtered, and validated at the level of transcript expression.

Results: Forty-three genes with significantly altered expression patterns were discovered and most of them had not been previously reported. Among these genes, genes encoding superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) and interleukin 10 (IL-10) in the hypoxic preconditioning group were confirmed to be up-regulated with real-time quantitative PCR.

Conclusions: Many cytokines are involved in hypoxic preconditioning and protect hepatocytes from hypoxia-reoxygenation injury, and the increase of oxygen free-radical scavengers and anti-inflammatory factors may play a key role in this phenomenon. Diverse signal pathways are probably involved.