Expression of parathyroid hormone-related peptide messenger ribonucleic acid in developing kidney.
BACKGROUND
Parathyroid hormone (PTH)-related peptide (PTHrP), originally identified as a causative agent of hypercalcemia of malignancy, has been implicated in the regulation of growth and differentiation of endochondral bone, hair follicle, and breast as an autocrine/paracrine factor. Although some experiments indicate that PTHrP works as a growth factor for primary renal cells in vitro, the role of PTHrP in the kidney in vivo is not yet known.


METHODS
We examined the amounts of PTHrP and PTH/ PTHrP receptor (PTHR) mRNA in the mouse kidney developmental process by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and investigated which cells produce PTHrP and PTHR in vivo by in situ hybridization.


RESULTS
We observed high levels of PTHrP mRNA during mouse kidney maturation. PTHrP mRNA was expressed in the collecting duct, urothelium of the pelvis, and immature elements in the cortex of the developing kidney, including the S-shaped body, ureteric bud, and glomerulus. However, the expression of PTHR mRNA was lower during maturation than after the completion of the maturation process, and it was not detected in the collecting duct, urothelium of the pelvis, or nephrogenic zone in embryonic day 16 or 0-day-old mouse kidneys.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that PTHrP has a role in mouse kidney maturation or glomerular development.
Aya
K
K
Department of Pediatrics, Okayama University Medical School, Japan.
Tanaka
H
H
Ichinose
Y
Y
Kobayashi
M
M
Seino
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D017931:DNA Primers; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D006934:Hypercalcemia / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000196:embryology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000235:genetics*; D044162:Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism
D017931:DNA Primers; D006133:Growth Substances; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D044162:Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger