ABSTRACT: Non-invasive or minimally invasive surrogate approaches to detect/predict target organ toxicity have significant practical applications in occupational toxicology. Presently, using a rat model, we have investigated the potential application of peripheral blood transcriptomics as a practical approach to study the mechanisms of silica-induced pulmonary toxicity. Rats were exposed by inhalation to crystalline silica for one week (15 mg/m3, 6-hours/day, 5 days/week). Pulmonary toxicity and global gene expression profiles of lungs and peripheral blood were determined in the control and silica exposed rats at 32-weeks following termination of silica exposure. A significant elevation in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and moderate histological changes in the lungs, including type II pneumocyte hyperplasia and fibrosis, indicated silica-induced pulmonary toxicity in the rats. Similarly, significant infiltration of neutrophils and elevated monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP1) level in the lungs suggested silica-induced pulmonary inflammation in the rats. Microarray analysis of global gene expression profiles identified significant differential expression (>1.5 fold change and FDR p<0.01) of 520 and 537 genes, respectively, in the lungs and blood of the silica exposed rats. Bioinformatics analysis of the differentially expressed genes demonstrated significant similarity in the biological processes, molecular networks, and canonical pathways enriched by silica exposure in the lungs and blood of the rats. Several genes involved in functions relevant to silica-induced pulmonary toxicity such as inflammation, respiratory diseases, cancer, cellular movement, fibrosis, etc, were found significantly differentially expressed in the lungs and blood of the silica exposed rats. The results of this study, in addition to providing molecular insights into the mechanisms underlying silica-induced pulmonary toxicity, suggested the potential application of peripheral blood gene expression profiling as a toxicologically relevant and minimally invasive surrogate approach to study the mechanisms underlying silica-induced pulmonary toxicity. Non-invasive or minimally invasive surrogate approaches to detect/predict target organ toxicity have significant practical applications in occupational toxicology. Presently, using a rat model, we have investigated the potential application of peripheral blood transcriptomics as a practical approach to study the mechanisms of silica-induced pulmonary toxicity. Rats were exposed by inhalation to crystalline silica for one week (15 mg/m3, 6-hours/day, 5 days/week). Pulmonary toxicity and global gene expression profiles of lungs and peripheral blood were determined in the control and silica exposed rats at 32-weeks following termination of silica exposure. A significant elevation in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and moderate histological changes in the lungs, including type II pneumocyte hyperplasia and fibrosis, indicated silica-induced pulmonary toxicity in the rats. Similarly, significant infiltration of neutrophils and elevated monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP1) level in the lungs suggested silica-induced pulmonary inflammation in the rats. Microarray analysis of global gene expression profiles identified significant differential expression (>1.5 fold change and FDR p<0.01) of 520 and 537 genes, respectively, in the lungs and blood of the silica exposed rats. Bioinformatics analysis of the differentially expressed genes demonstrated significant similarity in the biological processes, molecular networks, and canonical pathways enriched by silica exposure in the lungs and blood of the rats. Several genes involved in functions relevant to silica-induced pulmonary toxicity such as inflammation, respiratory diseases, cancer, cellular movement, fibrosis, etc, were found significantly differentially expressed in the lungs and blood of the silica exposed rats. The results of this study, in addition to providing molecular insights into the mechanisms underlying silica-induced pulmonary toxicity, suggested the potential application of peripheral blood gene expression profiling as a toxicologically relevant and minimally invasive surrogate approach to study the mechanisms underlying silica-induced pulmonary toxicity. A total of 12 rat blood samples were analyzed in this gene expression experiment. Rats were exposed to crystalline silica at a concentration of 15 mg/m3, 6-hours/day for 5 consecutive days. Rats exposed simultaneously to filtered air served as the controls. The control (n=6) and silica exposed (n=6) rats were sacrificed at post-exposure time interval of 32 weeks following termination of silica exposure and blood gene expression profiles were determined.