title: Thrombopoietin gene expression in the developing human central nervous system.
abstract: Thrombopoietin gene expression in the human adult central nervous system (CNS) appears to be locally restricted. The aim of this study was to identify areas of thrombopoietin expression in the developing human CNS, and to compare the thrombopoietin mRNA content in the CNS to that in liver and kidneys as major sites of thrombopoietin production. Thrombopoietin protein concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were measured by ELISA. In 14 fetuses and neonates with perinatal death, thrombopoietin mRNA expression was measured by competitive RT-PCR. Thrombopoietin mRNA was expressed in 29 of 32 specimens taken from the CNS. The following ranking of the intensity of expression in the CNS was possible: Spinal cord=cerebellum=cortex>>pituitary gland>>>brain stem=corpora amygdala=hippocampus. Whereas in the latter three tissues only trace amounts of thrombopoietin transcripts were detectable, thrombopoietin mRNA levels in the spinal cord were comparable to levels in liver and kidney. Thrombopoietin protein concentrations in CSF ranged between 41 and 75 pg/ml. In the developing human CNS, the thrombopoietin gene is abundantly expressed. Considering that thrombopoietin contains a neurotrophic sequence, it may well play a role in neuronal cell biology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany. christof.dame@charite.de
authors.forename: Christof
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dame
authors.forename: Eva Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Wolber
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Freitag
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bartmann
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fandrey
mesh_terms: D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005333:Fetus; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007668:Kidney / Q000196:embryology; D008099:Liver / Q000196:embryology; D009928:Organ Specificity; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013926:Thrombopoietin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013926:Thrombopoietin