title: Expression of  the luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) gene in ovine non-gonadal tissues  during estrous cycle.
abstract: Luteinizing  hormone (LH) is an important glycoprotein hormone that regulates gonadal  function in mammals and in turn regulates physiological status changes during  the estrous cycle. The function of LH is mediated by luteinizing hormone  receptor (LHR). In order to examine the expression patterns of the LHR gene  in non-gonadal tissues during the 4 phases of the ovine estrous cycle, tissues  from healthy non-pregnant adult Hu sheep were examined according to the estrous  cycle for normal ovaries using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and  ELISA methods with GAPDH as the reference gene. LHR mRNA  expression levels were significantly correlated with protein concentrations and  the LHR gene was abundantly expressed in olfactory bulb, hypothalamus,  rumen, small intestine, kidney, and uterine tissues. When comparing the  expression levels of LHR during the 4 estrous phases in particular  tissues, the results showed that LHR expression levels were  significantly different and relatively lower at the estrous stage in a number  of non-gonadal tissues. The trends of change in LHR expression levels  were highly significantly correlated between hypothalamus and rectum,  hypophysis and oviduct, ileum and uterus, and among jejunum, olfactory bulb,  and kidney (P < 0.01), and there was also significant correlation between  duodenum and oviduct, hypothalamus and medulla oblongata, jejunum and uterus,  omasum and abomasum, and reticulum and colon (P < 0.05). These results indicate  that the ovine LHR gene (or LH) might control important  mechanisms in non-gonadal tissues and that the level of LH activity in  some tissues may be influenced by hormonal status during the estrous cycle.
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Q X
authors.initials: QX
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D030762:Estrous Cycle / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006066:Gonads / Q000378:metabolism*; D009691:Nucleic Acid Denaturation; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011974:Receptors, LH / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D034561:Sheep, Domestic / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011974:Receptors, LH