title: Enhancement of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) expression in injured epidermis and cultured fibroblasts.
abstract: After the cDNA of human macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) was cloned in 1989, this protein has been re-evaluated as a pro-inflammatory cytokine, pituitary hormone and glucocorticoid-induced immunoregulatory protein. We previously reported the expression of MIF in the basal cell layers of the epidermis, but its pathophysiological function in the skin has not been well understood. In this study, we examined the expression of MIF during the wound healing of rat skin injured by excision. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in combination with Southern blot analysis revealed that the increase of MIF mRNA expression was biphasic. The maximum peaks were observed at 3 and 24 h after the injury. Similarly, maximal increases of the serum MIF level were observed at 3 and 24 h after the injury. Immunohistochemical analysis at 12 h after injury demonstrated enhanced expression of MIF protein in the whole epidermal lesion of the wound tissue. By the Boyden chamber assay, we demonstrated that MIF had a chemotactic effect on freshly prepared keratinocytes from rat skin. Additionally, cultured fibroblasts from the skin wound lesion secreted a higher amount of MIF in response to lipopolysaccharide compared to those of the normal skin. Furthermore, administration of anti-MIF antibodies induced a delay of wound healing in vivo. Taken together, these results suggest that MIF contributes to the wound healing process of skin tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ohkawara
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nishihira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000494:pharmacology; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000187:drug effects; D004817:Epidermis / Q000293:injuries / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012867:Skin / Q000293:injuries / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors; D012333:RNA, Messenger