title: Sex dimorphism and hormonal regulation of rat tissue kallikrein mRNA.
abstract: The regulation of rat tissue kallikrein mRNA levels was investigated by RNA filter hybridization using a kallikrein cDNA probe and by in vitro translation of isolated RNA. The synthesis of a 37 kDa polypeptide has been hybrid-arrested by the tissue kallikrein cDNA in cell-free translation assays directed by submandibular mRNA and the quantitation of this protein was used as a measure of translational activity of kallikrein mRNA. In Northern blot analyses, relative kallikrein mRNA levels were found to be 60-fold higher in submandibular gland than in pancreas and 20-fold higher than in kidney. In addition, it was noted that kallikrein mRNA is differentially regulated in tissues from male and female animals. Rat submandibular gland kallikrein mRNA is 2-times more abundant in male animals as in females. This trend is reversed in kidney, where the kallikrein mRNA in females is twice that in male animals. Relative submandibular gland kallikrein mRNA levels were found to be responsive to hormonal manipulation as measured by both Northern blotting and cell-free translation assays. Castration of male animals resulted in a decrease of kallikrein mRNA which could be partially restored by treatment with thyroxine and almost completely restored by testosterone treatment. The submandibular gland kallikrein mRNA in normal female rats was increased up to 30% by administration of testosterone or thyroxine. Adrenalectomized female rats showed a decrease in submandibular kallikrein mRNA which was significantly increased by testosterone, thyroxine, aldosterone and cortisol, with the largest effect being a 2- to 2.4-fold increase in cortisol-treated rats. These results indicate that hormones regulate tissue kallikrein synthesis in the rat submandibular gland, at least in part, by altering kallikrein mRNA accumulation.
mesh_terms: D000315:Adrenalectomy; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D004247:DNA; D005260:Female; D006728:Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000494:pharmacology; D007610:Kallikreins / Q000235:genetics*; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D009919:Orchiectomy; D010179:Pancreas / Q000378:metabolism; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013363:Submandibular Gland / Q000378:metabolism; D013739:Testosterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000494:pharmacology; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013739:Testosterone; D000450:Aldosterone; D004247:DNA; D007610:Kallikreins; D013974:Thyroxine; D006854:Hydrocortisone