Estrogen inhibits interleukin-18 mRNA expression in the mouse uterus

Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is a proinflammatory cytokine expressed in female reproductive organs in humans, rats and mice. The physiological roles of uterine IL-18 and the regulatory mechanisms of IL-18 gene expression are unclear. The present study aimed to clarify the effects of estradiol-17beta (E2) and progesterone (P4) on IL-18 mRNA expression in the mouse uterus. Distribution and expression levels of IL-18 mRNA were studied using an RNase protection assay. Expression of IL-18 mRNA was observed in all organs studied, including testes, ovaries and uteri. The uterine IL-18 mRNA level of estrous mice was higher than that of diestrous mice. E2 treatment (1, 5, 25 or 250 ng/mouse) decreased uterine IL-18 mRNA levels in ovariectomized mice dose-dependently. E2 treatment acutely decreased IL-18 mRNA levels 3 h after injection, but these levels returned to the initial level after 48 h. P4 treatment (1 mg/mouse) decreased uterine IL-18 mRNA levels after 12 h, but levels returned to the initial level after 48 h. Both uterine IL-18 and IL-18Ralpha mRNAs were detected in cultured endometrial epithelial and stromal cells. These results suggest that uterine IL-18 expression is reduced by sex steroid hormones and that IL-18 acts on endometrial cells in a paracrine or autocrine manner.     

Localization of interleukin-6 receptor mRNA in the pregnant and non-pregnant mouse uterus

To understand roles of interleukin 6 (IL-6) family cytokines for pregnancy in mice, localization of IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) mRNA was investigated in non- and early pregnant uteri by in situ hybridization. IL-6R mRNA was expressed in all non-pregnant uteri and in pregnant uteri from the third day (Day 3) to the sixth day of pregnancy (Day 6; the day of plug = Day 1). IL-6R mRNA signals were detected in non-pregnant mice in the luminal and glandular epithelium. Signal strength varied according to the sexual cycle. There was no correlation between the signal strength of the IL-6R mRNA and the serum concentrations of progesterone and 17beta-estradiol, which show a monophasic rise in the non-pregnant sexual cycle. In pregnant mice, slight signals were detectable in the luminal and glandular epithelium on Day 3. IL-6R mRNA messages increased with progression towards Day 4, however, localization changed drastically on Day 5. Stromal cells abruptly expressed their mRNA on Day 5, and these cells strongly expressed it on Day 6. The function of IL-6R in the luminal and glandular epithelium might be different from that in the stroma during the implantation period. In addition, few signals were identified in the stromal cells adjacent to the luminal epithelium on Day 6. This suggests that there are two types of stromal cells on Day 6 in mice.     

瘦素及其长型瘦素受体在雌性小鼠体内的表达

采用免疫组织化学SP染色法对长型瘦素受体在雌性小鼠生殖周期不同阶段的下丘脑、卵巢、子宫中细胞定位和分布进行了研究,并用ELISA方法对小鼠血清中的瘦素浓度进行了检测。结果显示,下丘脑神经元胞质中有棕褐色阳性颗粒,且阳性细胞数量随妊娠日龄增加逐渐增加,妊娠期与间情期阳性细胞数差异显著(P0.05);在卵巢中,卵母细胞胞质中有长型瘦素受体表达,随卵泡的发育,卵泡细胞中免疫反应阳性细胞数量逐渐增加;在胚泡附植期,瘦素受体在子宫腺和子宫内膜上皮细胞中大量表达。妊娠期血清瘦素浓度均高于间情期,且瘦素浓度从间情期到妊娠4日龄,呈上升趋势,妊娠5日龄稍下降,后随妊娠日龄逐渐增加。结果表明,瘦素及其长型受体能够促进卵泡发育,有利于小鼠胚泡的附植。     

Expression of ADAMTS1 mRNA in bovine endometrium and placenta during gestation

A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 1 (ADAMTS1) is a secreted protease. Through the regulation of extracellular matrix remodeling or developmental processes or both, ADAMTS1 is involved in several biological functions, including ovulation and embryo receptivity. However, the expression and possible role of ADAMTS1 in bovine endometrium is unknown. In this study, we analyzed ADAMTS1 mRNA expression in bovine endometrium during the estrous cycle, peri-implantation period, and at different stages of gestation by using quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qPCR) and in situ hybridization. The qPCR results indicated that the expression of ADAMTS1 mRNA was not affected by the day of the estrous cycle and was similar to cyclic levels on day 35 of gestation; however, the expression was more abundant in cotyledonary tissues of the placenta during late gestation. The in situ hybridization study showed that ADAMTS1 mRNA was detected mainly in uterine luminal epithelia and stromal cells during the estrous cycle and peri-implantation period. A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 1 mRNA was also expressed in the peri-implantation conceptus as well as in trophoblast cells, which include binucleate cells, and increased during late gestation. Furthermore, treatment of stromal cell with progesterone (300 nM) stimulated the expression of ADAMTS1 mRNA. This study indicates that ADAMTS1 participates in bovine endometrial remodeling, which is required for implantation and placental development in coordination with ovarian steroids.     

胰岛素受体mRNA在新生犊牛组织中的表达

应用半定量RT-PCR方法检测了新生犊牛中枢神经系统和外周组织中胰岛素受体（insulin receptor，InsR）基因的表达。结果表明，InsR基因在肝、皮下脂肪、半腱肌、胰、肾皮质、脾、心、肺、下丘脑、肠系膜淋巴结、主动脉、十二指肠、结肠、垂体、大脑皮质、小脑皮质中都有表达。其中，肝、半腱肌、下丘脑、胰、主动脉、垂体中InsR基因的表达量显著多于其他组织（P〈0．05）。InsR基因在各组织中的广泛分布表明胰岛素在体内具有广泛的生理功能。     

Expression of mRNA of chemokine receptor CXCR4 in feline mammary adenocarcinoma

The expression of mRNA of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 in 65 surgically resected mammary adenocarcinomas from cats was investigated by in situ hybridisation. No expression of the receptor's mRNA was detectable in the mammary tissue of healthy cats, but it was expressed in areas adjacent to necrosis, surrounding blood vessels and cells infiltrating the lymphatics of 47 (72.3 per cent) of the 65 samples. There was a significant relationship between lymphatic infiltration by neoplastic cells and the expression of the receptor's mRNA (P < 0.005), but there was no significant relationship between its expression and the one-year survival of the cats.     

白细胞介素18研究进展

白细胞介素 1 8是一种能诱导IFN γ产生的新型细胞因子。它具有多种生物学功能 ,能促进T细胞增殖 ,增强NK细胞的细胞毒作用 ,在诱导Th1细胞的分化成熟过程和Th1细胞为主的细胞免疫反应中具有促进和调节作用。在疫苗佐剂、多肽性药物的开发等方面有着潜在的应用前景     

Expression pattern of alphavbeta3 and alphavbeta5 integrin mRNA in mouse fetal gonads

The alphavbeta3 and alphavbeta5 integrins are known as transmembrane receptors capable of binding to the RGD amino acid peptide sequence. In mouse early gonadogenesis, some proteins containing the RGD sequence are deposited into extracellular space and participate in morphogenesis. We analyzed the expression patterns of the alphavbeta3 and alphavbeta5 integrins in mouse developing gonads (10.5-13.5 days post coitum) using whole-mount in situ hybridization. The alphav integrin mRNA was homogenously expressed in developing gonadal regions. On the other hand, the beta3 integrin mRNA was found only in large and round cells (presumptive germ cells), whereas beta5 integrin was localized in gonadal somatic cells, with the exception of coelomic epithelial cells. The beta3 integrin-expressed cells were determined to be primordial germ cells because the number of these cells was drastically reduced in busulfan-treated gonads. In this study, we demonstrated that the alphavbeta3 and alphavbeta5 integrins are widely localized in the mouse developing gonads and discussed their presumptive functions on mouse gonadogenesis.     

海兰鸡白细胞介素-18全基因的克隆与序列分析

白细胞介素-18（Interleukin-18，IL-18）是一种能诱导产生IFN-γ的新型细胞因子，在调节Th1型细胞免疫应答中起重要作用。根据GenBank发表的鸡IL-18cDNA基因序列，自行设计一对引物，经植物血凝素（PHA）活化60日龄海兰鸡的脾淋巴细胞后，提取其总RNA，经反转录-聚合酶链反应（RT—PCR）扩增，扩增产物进行了T-A克隆、测序，获得了中国海兰鸡IL-18基因全序列，其大小为597bp，与在GenBank中查得的鸡IL-18基因进行比较发现，中国海兰鸡IL-18基因与Schneider报道的鸡IL-18基因序列完全一致，为进一步研究鸡IL-18基因表达、生物学活性和应用奠定了基础。     

IL-18的免疫调节功能及其应用

IL-18是一种具有多向和多层次免疫调节功能的细胞因子,其细胞来源较广。它可通过NF-κB、p56LCK-MAPK、Perforin等多个信号传导途径参与细胞凋亡以及IFN-γ分泌诱导及功能性免疫细胞活性的激活,从而直接或间接激活T细胞、NK细胞、PBMC、DC等免疫细胞的增殖、分化、抗原呈递、CTL反应等,并诱导这些细胞分泌效应性细胞因子或延长免疫保护,进而促进免疫系统增强抗感染、抗肿瘤等免疫效应。IL-18除了主要介导细胞免疫外,在一定条件下,亦能促进抗原特异性中和抗体以及Th2型细胞因子的应答。在某些疾病的防治和诊断中,具有重要临床意义。     

藏山羊SFRS18基因克隆、表达及其与肌内脂肪含量相关性研究

试验旨在克隆藏山羊SFRS18(splicing factor arginine/serine-rich 18)基因CDS序列,并进行生物信息学分析,同时分析其组织表达特征以及与肌内脂肪含量进行相关性分析,为深入研究该基因在山羊肌内脂肪沉积中的作用积累数据。采用RT-PCR技术获得藏山羊SFRS18基因序列,结合生物信息学分析蛋白的理化性质、结构和不同物种的同源性,实时荧光定量检测SFRS18 mRNA表达情况,并将表达量与肌内脂肪含量相关联。结果表明,藏山羊SFRS18基因cDNA序列长为1299 bp,开放阅读框(ORF)长为1272 bp,编码423个氨基酸,蛋白分子结构式为C₂₀₀₃H₃₄₂₄N₇₆₀O₆₉₆S₄,分子质量为49.42 ku,等电点pI=11.20,SFRS18蛋白为不稳定的亲水性蛋白,无信号肽;有103个磷酸化位点,2个N-糖基化位点和39个O-糖基化位点;亚细胞定位于在细胞核(82.6%)、细胞质(8.7%)、细胞骨架(4.3%)和质膜(4.3%),属于非跨膜蛋白;预测二级结构由0.71% α-螺旋和99.29%无规则卷曲组成;藏山羊核苷酸序列和氨基酸序列与牛、绵羊和水牛的相似性最高(99%),系统进化树分析表明藏山羊与牛亲缘关系最近;实时荧光定量PCR结果显示,SFRS18基因在藏山羊的不同组织中都存在表达,其中在脾脏中表达水平最高,在背最长肌中表达水平最低;在藏山羊背最长肌和腿肌中SFRS18 mRNA表达与肌内脂肪含量均呈显著正相关(r=0.081,P<0.05;r=0.373,P<0.05)。SFRS18基因可以作为调节山羊脂肪沉积的候选基因。     

猪IL-18基因的原核表达及重组蛋白的纯化

以pcDNA3．1-pIL-18为模板，采用PCR技术扩增到了猪白细胞介素18（IL-18）的成熟蛋白基因，通过KpnⅠ＋SacⅠ双酶切及连接反应，构建了pET32c—pIL—18原核表达质粒。经过限制性内切酶分析、PCR鉴定及DNA序列测定证实，重组质粒中的基因片段连接正确。之后，重组质粒转化大肠杆菌BL21（DE3），于37℃、1．0mmol／L IPTG条件下诱导表达。菌体裂解产物经SDS—PAGE分析，在分子质量约为33ku处出现了预期的目的蛋白。用8mol／L脲对表达产物变性，经Ni^2＋NTA柱纯化，透析复性，得到了纯化的IL-18蛋白。Western—blot分析证实，纯化的重组IL-18蛋白具有反应活性。上述研究结果为重组IL-18的应用奠定了基础。     

Expression of CC chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4) mRNA in canine atopic skin lesion

CC chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4) is a G protein-coupled seven transmembrane receptor that is selectively expressed on Th2 cells and plays an important role in the trafficking of Th2 cells into inflammatory sites. In this study, a full-length canine CCR4 cDNA was cloned and characterized in order to examine the potential role of CCR4 in allergic responses that produce skin lesions in canine atopic dermatitis (AD). The canine CCR4 cDNA reported in this study contained an open reading frame of 1083 nucleotides encoding 360 amino acids. The predicted amino acid sequence of canine CCR4 showed 91.9, 85.3 and 84.5% similarity with those of the human, mouse and guinea pig counterparts, respectively. Expression of CCR4 mRNA was detected in various tissues including thymus, spleen, heart, small intestine and lymph node. Furthermore, it was found that CCR4 mRNA was preferentially expressed in lesional skin of dogs with AD, together with the mRNA of thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC), which is a ligand for CCR4. The present study demonstrates that CCR4 contributes strongly to the immunopathogenesis of canine AD.     

围产期酮病牛脂联素mRNA和甘油三酯脂肪酶mRNA的表达

选择自然发生酮病牛10头、正常对照组奶牛（健康牛）10头。分别采取酮病牛和产后不同时期的奶牛尾部皮下脂肪组织,应用荧光定量PCR法检测脂联素（ADPN）mRNA与甘油三酯脂肪酶（HSL）mRNA表达的状况。酮病牛与对照组（健康）牛分别颈静脉采血,测定葡萄糖（GLU）、游离脂肪酸（NEFA）、β羟丁酸（BHBA）、甘油三酯（TG）以及胰岛素（INS）、胰高血糖素（GN）等相关指标。结果表明：酮病奶牛血糖显著降低,血浆NEFA和BHBA、血清INS降低和INS/GN变小;酮病奶牛HSLmRNA的表达低于围产期健康奶牛产后14d和产后28d,但ADPN mRNA却极显著地高于围产期健康奶牛产后的各生理时期,表明酮病牛因能量代谢紊乱脂肪动员产物NEFA和BHBA的增多,激发导致ADPN mRNA的表达,但ADPN mRNA的表达增加到一定量时反而会降低HSL mRNA的表达,说明ADPN参与了脂肪代谢的调节。     

Androgen receptor mRNA expression in the bovine ovary

Previous studies have shown that androgen receptor (AR) is expressed in granulosa cells of healthy, growing ovarian follicles in rats and primates. However, AR expression in the bovine ovary has not been examined. Therefore, a 346-base pair segment of the bovine AR was cloned and sequenced. Using a ribonuclease protection assay, AR expression was detected in total RNA from bovine ovarian cortex. Expression (absence or presence) of AR mRNA was detected by in situ hybridization in bovine ovarian cortex. Follicles (n = 32) were classified as follows: type 1 (1 layer of flattened granulosa cells), type 2 (1-1.5 layers of cuboidal granulosa cells), type 3 (2-3 layers of granulosa cells), type 4 (4-6 layers of cuboidal granulosa cells and formation of thecal layer), and type 5 (>6 layers of cuboidal granulosa cells, defined theca layer, and antrum formation). Frequency of AR mRNA expression increased (P < 0.001) as follicles entered the growing pool. Expression of AR mRNA was absent in type 1 follicles (n = 8), but present in the granulosa cells of 41% of type 2 follicles (n = 12). In types 3-5 follicles, AR mRNA expression was present in granulosa cells of 100% of follicles examined (n = 4, 4, and 4, respectively) and was greater than type 1 follicles (P = 0.002). These data provide evidence of AR mRNA expression in bovine follicles and suggest that AR mRNA increases during early follicle development.