Involvement of multiple molecular events in pyrogallol-induced hepatotoxicity and silymarin-mediated protection: Evidence from gene expression profiles

In this study, the involvement of various molecular events in pyrogallol-mediated hepatotoxicity was deciphered by differential mRNA transcription profiles of control and pyrogallol treated mice liver. The modulatory effects of silymarin on pyrogallol-induced differentially expressed transcripts were also looked into. Swiss albino mice were treated with or without pyrogallol. In some set of experiments, mice were also treated with silymarin 2 h prior to pyrogallol. Total RNA was isolated from liver and polyadenylated RNA was reverse-transcribed into Cye 3 or Cye 5 labelled cDNA. Equal amounts of labelled cDNA from two different groups were mixed and hybridized with mouse 15 k array. The hybridized arrays were scanned, analyzed and the expression level of each transcript was calculated. The differential expression was validated by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction. Comparative transcription pattern showed an alteration in the expression of 183 transcripts (150 up-regulated and 33 down-regulated) associated with oxidative stress, cell cycle, cytoskeletal network, cell–cell adhesion, extra-cellular matrix, inflammation, apoptosis, cell-signaling and intermediary metabolism in pyrogallol-exposed liver and silymarin pre-treatment modulated the expression of many of these transcripts. Results obtained thus suggest that pyrogallol induces multiple molecular events leading to hepatotoxicity and silymarin effectively counteracts pyrogallol-mediated alterations.