Gene expression and hormonal regulation of adiponectin and its receptors in bovine mammary gland and mammary epithelial cells

Although the functions of adiponectin, a differentiated adipocyte‐derived hormone, in regulating glucose and fatty acid metabolism are regulated by two subtypes of adiponectin receptors (AdipoRs; AdipoR1 and AdipoR2), those in ruminants remain unclear. Therefore we examined the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression levels of adiponectin and its receptors in various bovine tissues and mammary glands among different lactation stages, and the effects of lactogenic hormones (insulin, dexamethasone and prolactin) and growth hormone (GH) on mRNA expression of the AdipoRs in cultured bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMEC). AdipoRs mRNAs were widely expressed in various bovine tissues, but adiponectin mRNA expression was significantly higher in adipose tissue than in other tissues. In the mammary gland, although adiponectin mRNA expression was significantly decreased at lactation, AdipoR1 mRNA expression was significantly higher at peak lactation than at the dry‐off stage. In BMEC, lactogenic hormones and GH upregulated AdipoR2 mRNA expression but did not change that of AdipoR1. In conclusion, adiponectin and its receptor mRNA were expressed in various bovine tissues and the adiponectin mRNA level was decreased during lactation. These results suggest that adiponectin and its receptors ware changed in mammary glands by lactation and that AdipoRs mRNA expression was regulated by different pathways in BMEC.     

奶牛乳腺上皮细胞的原代培养及其生物学特性分析

旨在从奶牛乳腺组织中分离原代乳腺上皮细胞（bovine mammary epithelial cells,BMECs）并传代培养后探究其生物学特性。本研究从屠宰场采集健康泌乳奶牛乳腺并采用改进的酶消化法从乳腺中分离得到原代奶牛乳腺上皮细胞,通过形态学观察、免疫荧光以及染色体核型分析的方法对其进行鉴定。同时,研究第3、第6和第9代乳腺上皮细胞的生长曲线、群体倍增时间和冻存复苏活力,检测不同代次细胞分泌乳蛋白、乳脂、乳糖的功能及泌乳相关基因的表达。结果表明,所分离的奶牛乳腺上皮细胞纯度较好,细胞生长呈现S型,3个代次细胞的群体倍增时间依次为34.87、41.45和65.04 h,冻存复苏活力为88%~93%;在细胞分泌功能方面,诱导培养2 d后均能检测到酪蛋白、甘油三酯和乳糖,且各代次间无显著差异;此外,3个代次的细胞诱导后均能表达乳成分合成相关基因。本研究成功培养了原代奶牛乳腺上皮细胞,并证明直到第9代细胞仍然具有正常的生物学功能,为体外探究乳腺细胞增殖与分化机制提供了良好的试验材料和技术支撑。     

Growth hormone suppresses the expression of IGFBP-5, and promotes the IGF-I-induced phosphorylation of Akt in bovine mammary epithelial cells

Growth hormone (GH) plays a specific role to inhibit apoptosis in the bovine mammary gland through the insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I system, however, the mechanism of GH action is poorly understood. In this study, we show that GH dramatically inhibits the expression of IGFBP-5, and GH along with IGF-I enhanced the phosphorylation of Akt through the reduction of IGF binding protein (IGFBP)-5. To determine how GH affects Akt through IGF-I in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs), we examined the phosphorylation of Akt in GH treated BMECs and found that IGF-I induced phosphorylation of Akt was significantly enhanced by the treatment with GH. We demonstrated that GH reduces mRNA and protein expression of IGFBP-5 in BMECs, but it does not affect the expression of IGFBP-3. To determine that the enhanced effect of the Akt phosphorylation by the treatment of GH is due to the inhibition of the expression of IGFBP-5, we examined the effect of IGFBP-3 and -5 on the phosphorylation of Akt through IGF-I in the GH-treated BMECs. The phosphorylation of Akt was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner when IGFBP-5 was added at varying concentrations and was also inhibited in the presence of IGFBP-3. The results of this study suggest that GH plays an important role on mammary gland involution in bovine mammary epithelial cells.     

Role of extracellular matrix and prolactin in functional differentiation of bovine BME-UV1 mammary epithelial cells

Interactions between extracellular matrix (ECM) and epithelial cells are necessary for proper organisation and function of the epithelium. In the present study we show that bovine mammary epithelial cell line BME-UV1 cultured on ECM components, commercially available as Matrigel, constitutes a good model for studying mechanisms controlling functional differentiation of the bovine mammary gland. In contact with Matrigel BME-UV1 cells induce apicobasal polarity, and within 16 days form three dimensional (3D) acinar structures with a centrally localized hollow lumen, which structurally resemble mammary alveoli present in the functionally active mammary gland. We have shown that the 3D culture system enables a high expression and proper localisation of integrin receptors and tight junction proteins in BME-UV1 cells to be induced. This effect was not obtained in cells grown in the classical 2D culture system on plastic. Moreover, ECM highly stimulated the synthesis of one of the major milk proteins, beta-casein, even in the absence of prolactin. Our results show that contact with ECM plays an important role in the lactogenic activity of bovine MECs, however, prolactin is necessary for the efficient secretion of milk proteins.     

Leptin inhibits hepatocyte growth factor-induced ductal morphogenesis of bovine mammary epithelial cells

We examined the effect of stroma-derived factors, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and leptin, on morphological differentiation of bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMEC) in collagen gel three-dimensional culture in vitro. BMEC treated with HGF, but not leptin, formed duct-like organoids. The formation of organoids by HGF was enhanced by treatment with a mixture of insulin, cortisol and prolactin, while BMEC treated with the mixture alone did not produce the organoid. In contrast, the formation of organoids by HGF was dose-dependently inhibited by simultaneous addition of leptin, regardless of the presence or absence of the hormone mixture. These results suggest that stroma-derived factors intricately regulate mammary epithelial morphogenesis.     

牛乳腺上皮细胞体外分离培养模式、方法及其应用进展

乳腺由具有泌乳功能的腺泡组成,乳腺上皮细胞(MEC)以单层方式排列在腺泡外围,是乳腺对外界病原进行免疫保护的重要组分,负责将血液中的营养物质通过一系列复杂生化过程转化为乳汁.牛乳腺上皮细胞(BMECs)的体外分离培养在很大程度上解决了活体试验条件不可控、操作困难、成本高及个体差异大等诸多问题,还可以为体外研究乳腺组织生...     

牛乳腺上皮细胞β-酪蛋白的检测及核型分析

本试验用Western-blotting检测奶牛乳腺上皮细胞培养液中的β 酪蛋白，鉴定该细胞的生理功能是否正常；通过分析染色体数目及核型以鉴定体外培养的奶牛乳腺上皮细胞是否发生转化。结果显示：培养液中含有β 酪蛋白，说明该乳腺上皮细胞生理状况良好；染色体数目正常，染色体数目为60，核型与哺乳动物染色体图谱一致，说明该细胞系在体外培养条件下未发生转化。     

脂多糖诱导奶牛乳腺上皮细胞先天性免疫反应

采取荷斯坦奶牛乳腺,进行体外分离培养,并纯化细胞。用不同质量浓度(0、1、10、100mg/L)的脂多糖刺激乳腺上皮细胞,采用MTT法检测脂多糖对细胞增殖的影响,半定量PCR检测10mg/L的LPS对乳腺上皮细胞TLR4、TLR2、CD14、MD-2四个基因在不同时间(0、2、6h)mRNA表达水平的差异。结果表明,高剂量(100mg/L)的LPS对乳腺上皮细胞的增殖产生明显影响;LPS刺激乳腺上皮细胞后,导致TLR4、CD14、MD-2mRNA表达迅速升高,而TLR2mRNA弱表达。说明TLR4、CD14、MD-2参与LPS的识别,同时也说明脂多糖刺激乳腺上皮细胞后,乳腺上皮细胞能够产生先天性免疫反应。     

Establishment of an in vitro culture model to study milk production and the blood–milk barrier with bovine mammary epithelial cells

This study attempted to establish a culture model to recreate the milk production pathway in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs). BMECs were isolated from Holstein cows (nonlactating, nonpregnant, and parous) and were stored by cryopreservation. To separate the apical and basolateral compartments, BMECs were cultured on a cell culture insert with a collagen gel in the presence of bovine pituitary extract and dexamethasone to induce milk production and tight junction (TJ) formation. The culture model showed the secretion of the major milk components, such as β‐casein, lactose, and triglyceride, and formed less‐permeable TJs in BMECs. Moreover, the TJs were distinctly separated from the apical and basolateral membranes. Glucose transporter‐1, which transports glucose into the cytoplasm through the basolateral membrane, localized in the lateral membrane of BMECs. Toll‐like receptor‐4, which binds to lipopolysaccharide in the alveolar lumen in mastitis, localized in the apical membrane. Beta‐casein was mainly localized near the Golgi apparatus and the apical membrane. Moreover, milk components were almost secreted into the upper chamber of the cell culture insert. These findings indicate that this model has clear cell polarity as well as in vivo and is effective to study of milk production and the blood–milk barrier in lactating BMECs.     

A proteomic analysis of the effect of growth hormone on mammary alveolar cell-T (MAC-T) cells in the presence of lactogenic hormones

The bovine mammary alveolar cell-T (MAC-T) cell line is able to uniformly differentiate and secrete casein proteins in response to dexamethasone, insulin, and prolactin and is extensively used to study bovine mammary epithelial cell (MEC) function. Somatotropin, or growth hormone (GH), has been shown to increase milk protein synthesis both in vivo and in mammary cell models and to induce cytoskeletal rearrangement in a 3T3 fibroblast cell line and a Chinese hamster ovary cell line. To identify the nature of the effects of GH in MECs cultured with lactogenic hormones, changes in global protein expression were assessed in the MAC-T cell line with the use of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization tandem time of flight mass spectrometry. Forty proteins were differentially expressed in response to GH (P < 0.05) and were related to metabolism, the cytoskeleton, protein folding, RNA and DNA processing, and oxidant stress. These widespread changes in protein expression are indicative of a global role of GH in overall cellular differentiation that may underlie the direct modulation of milk component synthesis in MEC models that have been described to date.     

牛乳腺上皮细胞SNAT2对氨基酸调节乳合成的影响

试验旨在研究氨基酸转运体钠离子依赖的中性氨基酸转运蛋白（the sodium-dependent neutral amino acid transporter 2,SNAT2）在牛乳腺上皮细胞（bovine mammary epithelial cell,BMEC）中对氨基酸调节乳合成的影响。利用组织块法成功培养原代BMEC,添加不同氨基酸（蛋氨酸（Met）、赖氨酸（Lys）和亮氨酸（Leu）刺激BMEC后,通过实时荧光定量PCR、Western blotting技术和甘油三酯试剂盒检测SNAT2、酪蛋白（β-casein）基因的表达量和BMEC培养液上清甘油三酯的分泌量;将N-flag-SNAT2真核表达载体及SNAT2 siRNA分别转入细胞中进行SNAT2基因的过表达和敲低试验;通过Western blotting和甘油三酯试剂盒分别检测SNAT2、哺乳动物雷帕霉素靶蛋白（the mammalian target of rapamycin,mTOR）、β-casein蛋白表达量和BMEC培养液上清的甘油三酯含量。结果显示,3种氨基酸（Met、Lys、Leu）均能显著促进BMEC分泌乳蛋白和乳脂,并激活mTOR信号途径,其中Met、Lys还能够显著上调SNAT2基因表达;SNAT2能够正向调节BMEC乳蛋白和乳脂肪的合成,并激活mTOR信号通路,说明氨基酸激活mTOR信号通路是通过SNAT2基因介导完成的,进而调节了BMEC乳蛋白和乳脂肪合成。     

Effects of tripeptides and lactogenic hormones on oligopeptide transporter 2 in bovine mammary gland

This study was conducted to investigate the expression of oligopeptide transporter 2 (PepT2) and its potential function in bovine mammary gland. First, the PepT2 mRNA and protein were determined in cultured mammary epithelial cells. Then the effects of lactogenic hormones (prolactin, hydrocortisone or insulin) and substrate (threonyl-phenylalanyl-phenylalanine) on PepT2 were investigated. The PepT2 mRNA and protein were successfully detected in bovine mammary epithelial cells. PepT2 gene expression was enhanced by the addition of 50, 500 and 5000 ng/ml prolactin, 10 and 100 ng/ml hydrocortisone, and 50, 500, 5000 and 50,000 ng/ml insulin. PepT2 mRNA abundance was increased when 5, 10 and 15% of threonyl-phenylalanyl-phenylalanine was included. Responses of PepT2 to lactogenic hormones and oligopeptide inferred that it may play an important role in bovine mammary gland.     

Lactogenic hormones stimulate expression of lipogenic genes but not glucose transporters in bovine mammary gland

During the onset of lactation, there is a dramatic increase in the expression of glucose transporters (GLUT) and a group of enzymes involved in milk fat synthesis in the bovine mammary gland. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the lactogenic hormones mediate both of these increases. Bovine mammary explants were cultured for 48, 72, or 96 h with the following hormone treatments: no hormone (control), IGF-I, insulin (Ins), Ins + hydrocortisone + ovine prolactin (InsHPrl), or Ins + hydrocortisone + prolactin + 17β-estradiol (InsHPrlE). The relative expression of β-casein, α-lactalbumin, sterol regulatory element binding factor 1 (SREBF1), fatty acid synthase (FASN), acetyl-CoA carboxylase α (ACACA), stearyol-CoA desaturase (SCD), GLUT1, GLUT8, and GLUT12 were measured by real-time PCR. Exposure to the lactogenic hormone combinations InsHPrl and InsHPrlE for 96 h stimulated expression of β-casein and α-lactalbumin mRNA by several hundred-fold and also increased the expression of SREBF1, FASN, ACACA, and SCD genes in mammary explants (P < 0.01). However, those hormone combinations had no effect on GLUT1 or GLUT8 expression and inhibited GLUT12 expression by 50% after 72 h of treatment (P < 0.05). In separate experiments, the expression of GLUTs in the mouse mammary epithelial cell line HC11 or in bovine primary mammary epithelial cells was not increased by lactogenic hormone treatments. Moreover, treatment of dairy cows with bovine prolactin had no effect on GLUT expression in the mammary gland. In conclusion, lactogenic hormones clearly stimulate expression of milk protein and lipogenic genes, but they do not appear to mediate the marked up-regulation of GLUT expression in the mammary gland during the onset of lactation.     

Effect of combination therapy with lactoferrin and antibiotics against staphylococcal mastitis on drying cows

We examined combination therapy with both lactoferrin (Lf) and antibiotics on clinical mastitis due to Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus) on drying cows. The clinical symptoms of mastitic quarters were cured 81% of combination therapeutic quarters at 7 days post injection (dpi). Moreover, most of mammary gland secretions (MGSs) in combination therapeutic quarters were normal at 7 days after parturition. In the quarters with combination therapy, S.aureus counts, Lf concentrations and content rate of concanavalin A (Con A) low-affinity Lf decreased and were lower than in the quarters treated with Lf or antibiotics alone. The mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) of the quarters with combination therapy also decreased and was lower than that of the Lf or antibiotics treated. The mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in bovine mammary gland epithelial lined cells (BMEC) stimulated with Lf were lower than those of Con A low-affinity Lf stimulated BMEC. Moreover, Lf showed an inhibitory effect to the induction of pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNA expression when co-stimulated with Lf and Con A low-affinity Lf. Nuclear factor kappa B (NFkappaB) activation was also induced with Con A low-affinity Lf, and the inhibitory effects of Lf were also confirmed on BMEC co-stimulated with Lf and Con A low-affinity Lf. These results indicated that the efficacy of combination therapy with antibiotics and Lf caused antibacterial effect of antibiotics and inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokine and chemokine production with Lf via the inhibition of NFkappaB activation.     

Effect of METTL3 on Milk Protein and Milk Fat Synthesis of Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells

In this study,to investigate the regulatory role of methyltransferase-like protein 3 (METTL3) on milk protein and fat synthesis in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMEC),different BMEC models were established, the expression of related genes and localization of METTL3 were detected,and the impact of METTL3 on milk protein and fat synthesis in BMEC after adding β-estrogen (E),methionine (Met),and overexpression or inhibition of METTL3 were measured using Western blotting and imunofluorescience methods. The results showed that when E and Met were added or the METTL3 expression was promoted,the expressions of mTOR,p-mTOR,GlyRS,p-GlyRS,CSN2 and SREBP-1c were increased,oppositely,the gene expression were decreased. Those results indicated that METTL3 could affect the milk fat and protein synthesis by adjusting the expression of related signaling pathway gene.METTL3 was one of the important regulating milk synthetic molecules and had an positively regulation on milk fat and protein synthesis in cells.     

METTL3对乳腺上皮细胞中乳蛋白和乳脂肪合成的影响

本试验旨在研究m⁶A甲基转移酶（methyltransferase-like protein 3,METTL3）在奶牛乳腺上皮细胞（bovine mammary epithelial cells,BMEC）中对乳蛋白和乳脂肪的调节作用。试验建立不同的BMEC模型,应用Western blotting、免疫荧光法检测添加雌激素（E）、蛋氨酸（Met）、METTL3超表达和抑制时对BMEC中乳蛋白和乳脂的影响,以及基因定位和表达变化。结果显示,当在BMEC培养液中添加E、Met及METTL3表达水平提高时,mTOR、p-mTOR、GlyRS、p-GlyRS、CSN2、SREBP-1c等表达量均增加,反之,这些基因表达量均下降,表明METTL3可以通过调控乳脂、乳蛋白的相关信号通路分子的基因表达进而影响乳脂、乳蛋白的表达。提示METTL3是乳合成的重要调节分子,可对细胞中乳脂、乳蛋白的合成起正调控作用。     

Comparison between stearoyl‐CoA desaturase expression in milk somatic cells and in mammary tissue of lactating dairy cows

Stearoyl‐CoA desaturase (SCD) is an important enzyme in the bovine mammary gland, where it inserts a cis‐double bond at the Δ9 position in a wide range of fatty acids. Investigating SCD expression in the bovine mammary gland generally requires invasive biopsy to obtain mammary tissue. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of milk somatic cells as a non‐invasive alternative to biopsy for measuring mammary SCD expression in dairy cows. Both milk somatic cells and mammary tissue were collected from 14 Holstein‐Friesian cows and used for analysis of SCD expression by real‐time PCR. The SCD5 mRNA levels in mammary tissue compared with SCD1 were low, and for several milk somatic cell samples, SCD5 expression was even below the limit of detection. A significant relationship was found between SCD1 expression in milk somatic cells and in mammary tissue. In addition, SCD1 expression in milk somatic cells was significantly related to Δ9‐desaturase indices in milk, which are commonly used as an indicator of SCD1 activity within the mammary gland. Our study showed that milk somatic cells can be used as a source of mRNA to study SCD1 expression in dairy cows, offering a non‐invasive alternative to mammary tissue samples obtained by biopsy.     

NFκB1在奶牛乳腺上皮细胞中的表达与定位

试验旨在研究奶牛乳腺上皮细胞（bovine mammary epithelial cell, BMEC）中NFκB1的表达与定位变化,以阐明NFκB1对BMEC乳合成的转录调节机理。通过组织块法培养原代细胞,利用BMEC和成纤维细胞对胰蛋白酶敏感性的不同进行纯化和传代;利用Western blotting和免疫荧光染色法检测细胞中角蛋白18和β-酪蛋白的表达以鉴定细胞的纯度和泌乳功能;通过添加0.6 mmol/L蛋氨酸建立氨基酸刺激BMEC泌乳的体外模型;Western blotting和免疫荧光法检测添加蛋氨酸后NFκB1和p-NFκB1表达与定位的变化。结果显示,获得了纯化的BMEC;Western blotting检测发现NFκB1在细胞浆中存在约141和105 ku两种形式,在细胞核中只存在105 ku形式;p-NFκB1（50 ku）主要存在于细胞核内。在添加蛋氨酸后NFκB1的141 ku形式的含量有一定增加;105 ku形式在细胞浆内蛋白水平变化不明显,在细胞核内水平明显升高;p-NFκB1在细胞核中的定位明显增加。结果提示,NFκB1参与BMEC乳合成的转录调节,氨基酸通过促进细胞核内NFκB1磷酸化以调节泌乳相关基因的转录和促进乳合成。     

Effects of lactoferrin and milk on adherence of Streptococcus uberis to bovine mammary epithelial cells

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether lactoferrin (LF) or milk influenced adherence of Streptococcus uberis to bovine mammary epithelial cells. SAMPLE POPULATION: Three strains of S uberis from cows with mastitis, pooled milk samples from 3 clinically healthy Jersey cows early in the lactation period, and bovine mammary epithelial cells from a clonal cell line. PROCEDURES: Adherence of S uberis to bovine mammary epithelial cells in the presence of various concentrations of LF or milk and after pretreatment of bacteria with LF or milk was tested. Bacteria were cultured with mammary epithelial cell monolayers for 1 hour. The culture supernatant was removed, and the epithelial cells were lysed. Adherence index was calculated as number of colony-forming units (CFU) in the cell lysate divided by number of CFU in the supernatant times 10,000. RESULTS: All 3 strains of S uberis were found to bind to purified LF and LF in milk. Addition of LF to the culture medium enhanced adherence of all 3 strains to mammary epithelial cells, whereas addition of milk enhanced adherence of 2 strains and decreased adherence of the third. Pretreatment of bacteria with LF or milk increased adherence of 1 of the strains but decreased adherence of the other 2. Increased adherence was antagonized by rabbit antibovine LF antibody. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that LF may function as a bridging molecule between S uberis and bovine mammary epithelial cells, facilitating adherence of the bacteria to the cells.