ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of sodium arsenite on gene expression related to growth and development and explored the molecular mechanism of arsenic effects using gene chips.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Normal human hepatic cells were dripped on chips and then hybrided with the first strand of cDNA from hepatic cell exposed to different concentration of sodium arsenite. Gene sequence of clone differently expressed was determined and then defined which gene it was and finally those genes which associated with growth and development were identified.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The p55 gene expression level of two experimental groups was severaly 2.21 and 2.93 times as the control group. The PL gene level of two experimental groups were 0.13 and 0.27 times as the control group, and the HOXA10 gene level was 0.22 and 0.35 times of the control group. These results indicated that sodium arsenite increase p55 gene expression, and inhibited PL and HOXA10 gene expression.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The sodium arsenite could affect the gene expression related to growth and development and it is shown that the molecular genetic mechanism of sodium arsenite is related to growth and development.</p>