Effects of ionizing radiation on imprinted gene expression in mouse spermatogenesis

Objective: To screen the imprinted gene with changed expression level by ionizing radiation in mouse spermatogenesis. Methods: A mouse model, whose spermatogenesis was interfered by irradiation, was founded. A total of 8 male BALB/c mice were chosen and subjected to daily whole-body irradiation of 0.1 Gy X-rays for 13 days. Testis RNA from irradiated and control mice was extracted, the imprinted genes expressing variably were screened with mouse oligo gene expression chip supplied by Shanghai Biochip Center and the interested genes were verified by semiquantitative RT-PCR. Results: Altogether 12 imprinted genes were found, 6 of them were up-regulated, and another 6 down-regulated, in which the ratio scores of Igf2 and Peg3 were 3.859 and 0.397, respectively. The results confirmed by semiquantitative RT-PCR were consistent with those of gene chip. Conclusion: The expression of some imprinted genes in mouse testis might be changed by chronic X-ray whole body irradiation. (authors)