Heat stress and sudden infant death syndrome--stress gene expression after exposure to moderate heat stress.
The aim of the present study was to investigate stress gene expression in cultured primary fibroblasts established from Achilles tendons collected during autopsies from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) cases, and age-matched controls (infants dying in a traumatic event). Expression of 4 stress responsive genes, HSPA1B, HSPD1, HMOX1, and SOD2, was studied by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR analysis of RNA purified from cells cultured under standard or various thermal stress conditions. The expression of all 4 genes was highly influenced by thermal stress in both SIDS and control cells. High interpersonal variance found in the SIDS group indicated that they represented a more heterogeneous group than controls. The SIDS group responded to thermal stress with a higher expression of the HSPA1B and HSPD1 genes compared to the control group, whereas no significant difference was observed in the expression of SOD2 and HMOX1 between the two groups. The differences were related to the heat shock treatment as none of the genes were expressed significantly different in SIDS at base levels at 37 °C. SOD2 and HMOX1 were up regulated in both groups, for SOD2 though the expression was lower in SIDS at all time points measured, and may be less related to heat stress. Being found dead in the prone position (a known risk factor for SIDS) was related to a lower HSPA1B up-regulation in SIDS compared to SIDS found on their side or back. The study demonstrates the potential usefulness of gene expression studies using cultured fibroblasts established from deceased individuals as a tool for molecular and pathological investigations in forensic and biomedical sciences.
Institute of Forensic Medicine, Department of Forensic Pathology, Aarhus University, Denmark. Electronic address: mcr@forensic.au.dk.
Marianne Cathrine
MC
Rohde
Thomas Juhl
TJ
Corydon
Jakob
J
Hansen
Christina Bak
CB
Pedersen
Stinne P
SP
Schmidt
Niels
N
Gregersen
Jytte
J
Banner
D000125:Achilles Tendon / Q000166:cytology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018834:Chaperonin 60 / Q000235:genetics*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D053803:Forensic Genetics; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D018882:Heat Stress Disorders / Q000235:genetics*; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016684:Prone Position; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000235:genetics*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000235:genetics*; D013997:Time Factors; D015854:Up-Regulation; D000099156:Superoxide Dismutase 2
D018834:Chaperonin 60; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D000099156:Superoxide Dismutase 2; C525621:HSPA1B protein, human; C060293:HSPD1 protein, human; C496541:HMOX1 protein, human
Fibroblast culture; Heat stress; Infant death; QRT-PCR; SIDS