Initially screening genes related to tumorigenesis of Barrett's esophagus in rats

Objective: To initially screen genes related to tumorigenesis of Barrett's esophagus(BE) in rats. Methods: Eight-week-old SD rat models were established to produce gastroduodeno-esophageal reflux, and a group of rats with sham operation were chosen as controls. Esophageal epithelium of pathological tissues were dissected in liquid nitrogen immediately according to pathological classification 40 weeks after surgery. The profiles expressed of 4096 genes in EA and BE tissues were compared with those in normal esophagus epithelium (NC) by cDNA microarray. Results: A total of 448 genes in BE were more than 3 times different from those in NC, including 312 up-regulated and 136 down-regulated genes, and among those 377 genes in EA, 90 were up-regulated and 142 were down-regulated. Compared with BE, 112 genes were up-regulated and 156 down-regulated in EA. The 18 up-regulated genes, whose function was partly known, were involved in carcinogenesis, while 6 down-regulated genes, whose function was clear in some aspect, were involved in carcinogenesis. Conclusion: Esophageal epithelium exposed excessively to harmful ingredients of duodenal and gastric reflux could gradually lead to esophagitis, BE and EA. Gene expression level is different between EA and BE, which might be related to the development and progression of EA.