Genome-wide Expression Profile of Rat's Vestibular Nucleus Responded to Coriolis Using cDNA Microarray Analysis

摘要

Space motion sickness is observed in a large percentage of astronauts beginning within the first hour of transition from Earth gravity to microgravity. To search for the mechanism and genes related to motion sickness susceptibility, we performed cDNA microarray analysis to determine the gene expression profile of rat's vestibular nucleus exposed to coriolis stimulation. Among 14,500 genes examined using the microarray, 38 genes were up-regulated and 23 genes were down-regulated significantly more than twofold in vestibular nucleus upon coriolis stimulation. To validate the cDNA microarray results, we also performed RT-PCR analysis on a small subset of affected genes and we confirmed that coriolis stimulation down-regulated the mRNA expression levels of stanniocalcin-1 (STC1) and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R), and up-regulated the mRNA expression levels of receptor activity modifying protein 1 (RAMP1) and corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF). The altered expression pattern of these genes may have potential relationship with the generation and development of motion sickness. Moreover, this study may lead to the identification of the potential targets of therapeutic interventions to prevent or to cure motion sickness in astronauts.