Preliminary evaluation of gene expression profiles in liver of mice exposed to Taihu Lake drinking water for 90 days.

Differential gene expression profiling was performed via DNA microarray in the liver tissue of Mus musculus mice after exposure to drinking water of Taihu Lake for 90 days. A total of 75 differentially expressed candidate genes (DEGs) were identified (1.5-fold, p ≤ 0.05), among which the expression of 29 genes was up-regulated and that of 46 genes was down-regulated. Most DEGs were involved in biological process based on gene ontology mapping analysis. The drinking water of Taihu Lake significantly influenced the expression of genes related to cell proliferation, apoptosis, amino acid metabolism, development and immune responses. Long-term exposure to the Taihu drinking water may result in increased carcinogenic risk.