Objective: To examine and analyze the global gene expression at the different stages of golden hamster cheek pouch mucosa carcinomatous change induced by 9,10-dimethylene-1,2 benzanthracene (DMBA).
Methods: The model of golden hamster cheek pouch squamous cell carcinoma was induced by DMBA. The RNA of normal mucosa, precancerous lesions and squamous cell carcinoma of fresh tissue of golden hamsters was extracted and purified and the cRNA labeled by fluorescent Cy3 synthesized, which respectively hybridized with the agilent rat cDNA microarray containing 41 000 genes-expressed sequence tags, scanning with Agilent G2565AA fluorescence scanner. The Ratio>or=2 and Ratio<or=0.5 were used to determine the threshold value of the differences gene expression and analyze the relevant biological information of the three different stages of cancer. The Venn diagram by Gene Spring 10.0 analysis software was then used to select the genes of continuing expression in the three different stages of cancer. Meanwhile, RT-PCR was used to confirm the correctness of the results of the gene chip.
Results: A total of 5255 differentially expressed genes were detected during the process from normal mucosa to the squamous cell carcinoma, of which 2896 was up-regulated and 2359 down-regulated. There were 22 genes that showed continues abnormal expression through the three different stages of carcinomatous change, including 3 up-regulated, 19 down-regulated. The RT-PCR results of Eaf-2 and Ecg-2 were consistent with the gene chip.
Conclusions: The development of oral mucosal squamous cell carcinoma involved a number of abnormal genes. The genes showing continues abnormal expression at different stages of carcinomatous change may be the important pathogenetic ones.