title: Expression of macrophage migration inhibitory factor in rat skin during embryonic development.
abstract: We have previously shown that human epidermal keratinocytes express macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) mRNA, and immunohistochemical studies showed that MIF is expressed in human epidermis. To explore the possible pathophysiological roles of MIF in skin during rat fetal development, we examined the expression patterns of MIF during rat epidermal development using Northern blot analysis and in situ hybridization. Expression of MIF mRNA was first detected by in situ hybridization in the developing epidermis and hair germ cells from embryonic day (ED) 16. From ED 19, moderate levels of MIF expression were detected in the epidermis and epithelial sheath cells of growing hair follicles. In postnatal rat skin, higher MIF expression was detected in the epidermis and hair follicles on postnatal day 3. These observations were also confirmed by Northern blot analysis. Immunohistochemical analysis with an anti-MIF antibody showed a similar distribution to that of the mRNA. Our results suggest that MIF is associated with epidermal and hair follicle development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Tadamichi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ogata
authors.forename: Ayumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nishihira
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Riichiro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Yunan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimizu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D047108:Embryonic Development; D004817:Epidermis / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D012867:Skin / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors; D012333:RNA, Messenger