title: Expression of heme oxygenase-1 in rat ontogeny.
abstract: Heme oxygenase (HO), the heme-degrading enzyme, plays an important role in heme catabolism. Among three isozymes, HO-1 is an inducible form expressed mainly in macrophages. In rat ontogeny, HO-1 immunoreactivity was detected in mononuclear cells in the yolk sac at 10 days of gestation. HO-1-expressing cells were then detected in the fetal liver and their numbers increased during the gestational period. The numbers of HO-1-positive cells and HO-1 mRNA levels in the liver peaked at 18 days of gestation. Most of the macrophages expressed both HO-1 and a macrophage scavenger receptor. Macrophages in the fetal liver showed marked hemophagocytosis. Macrophages in the lung, spleen, bone marrow, and other tissues also expressed HO-1. HO-1 immunoreactivity was also observed in syncytial cells of the chorionic villi, the endodermal layer of the yolk sac, and renal tubules of the fetus. Intestinal mucosal epithelial cells expressed HO-1 after birth. These findings imply that HO-1 is crucial for macrophages in heme catabolism from an early stage of ontogeny. HO-1 expression in non-macrophagic cells may be required for other purposes such as protection from oxidative stress and various stimuli.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Asahimachi-dori, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Takaoki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Go
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Katsuyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hatakeyama
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suematsu
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Naito
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D006418:Heme / Q000378:metabolism; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) / Q000378:metabolism*; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007728:Kupffer Cells / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D010587:Phagocytosis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015415:Biomarkers; D006418:Heme; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing); D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1