Visualization of lymphatic vessels through NF-kappaB activity.
The molecular biology of lymphatics is only rudimentary owing to the long-standing absence of specific markers, and scanty is the information regarding bladder lymphatic vessels. By using mice with a reporter gene for nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) activity (kappaB-lacZ) in combination with immunohistochemical staining with a specific lymphatic marker (LYVE-1), we show, for the first time, that NF-kappaB is constitutively active in lymphatic endothelium in the urinary bladder, uterus, intestine, heart, and airways. Tie2-lacZ mice confirmed that the structures observed in kappaB-lacZ mice were not blood vessels. In addition, acute instillation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) into the kappaB-lacZ mouse bladder revealed the capacity of this transgenic in reporting inducible NF-kappaB activity. Our findings demonstrate an overriding constitutive NF-kappaB activity in the lymphatic system. They also provide a working model for detecting lymphatic vessels and evoke testable hypotheses regarding the role of lymphatic vessels in health and disease.
Saban
Marcia R
MR
Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC), 940 SL Young Blvd, Rm 605, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA. ricardo-saban@ouhsc.edu.
Mémet
Sylvie
S
Jackson
David G
DG
Ash
John
J
Roig
Aurelio A
AA
Israël
Alain
A
Saban
Ricardo
R
D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D015870:Gene Expression; D007763:Lac Operon; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D042601:Lymphatic Vessels / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000235:genetics*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000502:physiology
D015415:Biomarkers; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016328:NF-kappa B; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha