DNA microarray expression analysis of mouse kidney following cadmium exposure for 12 months.

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal and chronic exposure causes kidney injury. This study used DNA microarray analysis to examine gene expression in the kidney of mice chronically exposed to Cd. Female C57BL/6J mice were fed a 300 ppm Cd-containing diet or a control diet for 12 months. In comparison with control mice, the expression levels of 32 genes, including Hmox1 and Mt2, were elevated more than 2.0-fold, whereas 113 genes, including transport- and ubiquitination-related genes, were reduced less than 0.5-fold.