title: Increased gene expression of endothelin-1 and vasoactive intestinal contractor/endothelin-2 in the mammary gland of lactating mice.
abstract: In an attempt to understand the roles of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and vasoactive intestinal contractor/endothelin-2 (VIC/ET-2), we have studied the genes for both peptides to be expressed in the mammary gland of lactating mice. We observed through real-time PCR analysis that ET-1 and VIC/ET-2 gene expression gradually increase after parturition and that ET-1 gene expression is significantly higher than that of VIC/ET-2. The distribution of ET-1 peptide was found to be localized mainly in the epithelial cells of the mammary gland at 14th day of lactation. ET-1 gene expression increases significantly, parallel to the increase in beta-casein gene expression, in epithelial cell lines (HC11) of mouse mammary gland after hormonal stimulation by addition of dexamethazone and prolactin. The observed increase in ET-1 expression in differentiated epithelial cells suggests physiological roles for ET-1, including milk production and secretion in the mammary gland of lactating mice.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Gene Function Analysis, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central-6, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, 305-8566, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: Takaharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kozakai
authors.forename: Mitsue
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakate
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Masuo
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uchide
authors.forename: Kaname
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saida
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001940:Breast / Q000378:metabolism; D002364:Caseins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D019333:Endothelin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007774:Lactation; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000378:metabolism; D011388:Prolactin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002364:Caseins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D019332:Endothelin-1; D019333:Endothelin-2; D010121:Oxytocin; D003907:Dexamethasone; D011388:Prolactin