[Changes of Foxp3 and IL-10 and TGF-beta in aging of mice].
OBJECTIVE
To compare the expression levels of Foxp3 mRNA in the spleen PBMC (peripheral blood mononuclear cell) in the progress of aging mice and analyse the relevance with serum IL-10 and TGF-beta.


METHODS
Healthy male BALB/c mice were divided into 3 groups at random (8 mice each group): 2m group with 2 months mice (young), 6m group with 6 months mice (middle-aged) and 15m group with 15 months mice (aged). The phenotype of CD4(+);CD25(+);Foxp3(+); T cells derived from normal murine SPL were analyzed by FCM. Real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR was used to determine the expression levels of Foxp3 mRNA in the spleen PBMC. ELISA was used to detect the concentration of IL-10 and TGF-beta.


RESULTS
The subsets of CD4(+);CD25(+);Foxp3(+); T lymphocytes from murine splenocytes were significantly higher in 15m group than that in 2m group(P<0.01). The expression levels of Foxp3 mRNA in the spleen PBMC were significantly higher in 15m group than that in 2m group(P<0.01).The serum concentration of IL-10 and TGF-beta were significantly higher in 15m group than that in 2m group(P<0.01).There was no correlation between serum concentration of IL-10 and TGF-beta and Foxp3 mRNA expression levels in the spleen PBMC in 15m group.


CONCLUSIONS
The level of the CD4(+);CD25(+);Foxp3(+); T cells and Foxp3 mRNA expression levels were up-regulated and IL-10 and TGF-beta contents were increased in the progress of aging mice. Foxp3 and IL-10 and TGF-beta may be play a part in the process of immunosenescence. Quantitative detection of Foxp3 mRNA by the method of SYBR Green I real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR is stable and reliable.
Zhao
Yi
Y
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Guangdong Medical College, Dongguan 523808, China. zhaoyicomnet@yahoo.com.cn
Wang
Yan
Y
Liu
Ji-Zhen
JZ
Cai
Kang-Rong
KR
D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D016753:Interleukin-10