title: [Changing trends of the expression of TIMP-4 in mouse ovary during pregnant and postpartum period].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The changes of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-4 (TIMP-4) expression in mouse ovary during pregnant and postpartum period were studied to investigate the role of TIMP-4 in corpus luteum (CL).
  
  
  METHODS
  RT-PCR was used to deter mine the change of TIMP-4 mRNA and indirect immunofluorescence was used to observe the change of TIMP-4 protein. The expression of TIMP-4 mRNA was observed in various periods throughout the stage of pregnancy and postpartum day 1.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression of TIMP-4 was gradually enhanced from day 1 to day 8, reached a maximal expression at day 8, while decreased at day 11 and to the lowest level at postpartum day 1. Indirect immunofluorescence results further indicated that TIMP-4 protein was localized to CL and theca-intera cells in various periods throughout the pregnancy and postpartum day 1. In addition, the change pattern of TIMP-4 protein agreed with that of the TIMP-4 mRNA in pregnancy CL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The expression of TIMP-4 in mouse ovary during pregnancy and postpartum is in spatio-temporal pattern and it may be involved in the formation and function maintain of CL during pregnancy in mice.
authors.affiliation: Capital Institute of Physic Education, Beijing 100088, China.
authors.forename: Shu-Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Bu
authors.forename: Zeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: En-Kui
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Duan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism*; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D019714:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000097792:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-4
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019714:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases; D000097792:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-4