title: Expression of calcium-binding protein regucalcin mRNA in fetal rat liver is stimulated by calcium administration.
abstract: The expression of hepatic calcium-binding protein regucalcin mRNA in fetal rats was investigated. The alteration in regucalcin mRNA levels was analyzed by Northern blotting using liver regucalcin cDNA (0.9 kb with complete open reading frame). Hepatic regucalcin mRNA levels were progressively increased with fetal development; the mRNA was clearly expressed at 15 and 21 days of pregnancy but only slightly at the 8 days. Meanwhile, beta-actin mRNA levels in the fetal liver were remarkable at 8 and 15 days of pregnancy. The fetal liver regucalcin mRNA levels at 15 days of pregnancy were significantly decreased by overnight-fasting of maternal rats. The oral administration of calcium chloride (50 mg Ca/100 g body weight) to maternal rats at 15 days of pregnancy caused a remarkable elevation (about 2 fold) of regucalcin mRNA levels in the fetal liver; this increase was seen 60 and 180 min after the calcium administration. After birth, regucalcin mRNA was increasingly expressed in the livers of newborn and weanling rats, while hepatic beta-actin mRNA expression was not appreciably altered with increasing ages. These findings demonstrate that the expression of hepatic regucalcin mRNA is increased with fetal development, and that the gene expression may be stimulated by the ingestion of dietary calcium.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Endocrinology and Molecular Metabolism, Graduate School of Nutritional Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ueoka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002122:Calcium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015238:Sulfotransferases; D014886:Weaning
chemical_list: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015238:Sulfotransferases; C028152:alcohol sulfotransferase; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases; C513325:Rgn protein, rat; D002122:Calcium Chloride