Differentiated tissues, such as eyes, heart and viscera were removed and the remaining tissues were dissociated by dispase. Stock cells were preserved in liquid nitrogen. After thawing, passage 2 primary cells were pre cul tured until they reached 80% confluency. The culture medium was Dulbeccos modified Eagle medium supplemented with 10% foetal calf serum, 1. 5 g www.selleckchem.com/products/AP24534.html L NaHCO3 at 37 C in a 10% CO2 humidified atmosphere and pH 7. 0. No phenol red was added to the medium. Cells used for the DEHP studies were sampled from a monolayer during the growing phase, 48 hrs after seed ing. Cells were trypsinized and treated during replating with DEHP at concentrations of 0 uM, 12. 5 uM, 25 uM and 50 uM in DMEM culture medium supplemented with 10% FCS. Cells were then incubated for 5 hrs and 24 hrs at 37 C in a 10% CO2 humidified atmosphere.

RNA isolation Total RNA extractions were performed directly in the dish, using Nucleospin RNA II Extract Kit, according to the manufacturers instructions. A DNAse I treatment was performed directly through the column used to collect RNAs and before the elution phase of DNA free RNA. RNA was quantified by spectrophotometry measuring the A260 A280 ratio and its quality was ensured by electrophoresis using a 1% RNase free agarose gel. Aliquots were stored at 80 C before use for Differential Display and Real time PCR. Anchored Reverse transcription and Differential Display The Differential Display was performed as described by Liang et al. with minor modifications concerning DD fragment revelation with GelRed.

For Differential Display, three separate RT reactions were performed with a different one base anchored oligo dT primer to pro duce three different subsets of cDNA pools. The sequences of the anchored and the arbitrary primers are given as additional file 2. The RT reactions were carried out using 2 uL of each primer and 4 ug of total RNA. 8 uL of RevertAid M MuLV Reverse Transcrip tase 5x reaction buffer, 1. 5 uL of 10 mM dNTPs and up to 35 uL Nuclease free water were added to each tube, mixed, then heated at 70 C for 3 min. Tubes were centrifuged and incubated on ice for 5 min, then 2 uL of RNaseOUT Recombinant RNase Inhibitor, 1 uL of RevertAid M MuLV RT and 2 uL of Nuclease free water were added to each tube. Each tube was mixed by gentle pipetting then incubated in a thermocycler at 42 C for 1 h, followed by 95 C for 10 min.

The tubes were then centrifuged and stored at 80 C until use. Amplification was then performed GSK-3 using combinations of the three original anchored primers from the reverse transcription step and eighty arbitrary 13 mers, giving a total of 240 amplification combinations. All reactions contained 2 uL of a 10x PCR buffer containing 25 mM of MgCl2, 1. 6 uL of 1 mM dNTP mix, 1 U of Taq Polymerase and the primer combination at a final concen tration of 1 uM. Tubes were incubated for 5 min at 95 C. The next 40 cycles were 95 C for 30 s, 40 C for 2 min, 72 C for 1 min.