Gene Microarray Related with Apoptosis in Diabetic OLETF Keratocytes

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study was to identified differentiated genes concerned with apoptosis that are up-regulated or down-regulated in OLETF corneal keratocytes stimulated with interleukin-1alpha. METHODS: Otsuka Long Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) corneal keratocytes were primarily cultured and treated with 20 ng/ml of IL-1a for 6 hours. Hybridization was carried out using Oligonucleotide microarray. A sample of normal keratocytes was labeled with Cy 3, and a diabetic keratocytes sample was labeled with Cy 5. RESULTS Diabetes showed 20 down-regulated genes and 24 up-regulated genes compared with normal keratocytes. Also, IL-1alpha-treated diabetic keratocytes expressed 31 down-regulated and 33 up-regulated genes. Compared with diabetic keratocytes, the newly expressed genes in OLETF treated with IL-1alpha were Bcl, Lam, Timp, Mmp, Socs, Bmp, Ccl, Lcn, C7, etc. CONCLUSIONS: There were some genes related with apoptosis that expressed differently between normal and diabetic keratocytes of OLETF. Also, IL-1alpha may stimulate differing effects of apoptosis on diabetic corneal keratocytes. Studies analyzing the apoptotic significance of these differences identified in diabetic keratocytes are needed.