Gestational pattern of heme oxygenase expression in the rat

Doron Kreiser, Dominique K. Kelly, Daniel S. Seidman, David K. Stevenson, Micha Baum, Phyllis A. Dennery*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

Fetal growth is influenced by many intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Our objective was to determine the pattern of heme oxygenase (HO) expression in the pregnant rat and to study its association with fetal growth and growth factors. Uterine tissues were obtained from nonpregnant and from time-mated rats at 7, 13, 16, 19, and 21 d of pregnancy. Placental tissue was obtained on d 13, 16, 19 and 21 of pregnancy. Tissues were evaluated for HO activity, HO-1, HO-2, leptin and vascular endothelial growth factor protein, and HO-1 and HO-2 mRNA. HO activity in both the uterus and placenta peaked on d 21 of pregnancy. In the uterus, HO-1 and HO-2 protein and total mRNA levels peaked on d 16 of pregnancy, whereas, in the placenta, HO-1 and HO-2 protein levels peaked on d 19. Additionally, placental HO-1 mRNA peaked on d 16, but placental HO-2 mRNA declined toward the end of pregnancy. Placental leptin and vascular endothelial growth factor protein levels followed a similar pattern to placental HO-1 and peaked on d 16. We conclude that there is a clear uterine and placental gestational pattern of HO expression in the rat. This pattern is comparable to that of vascular endothelial growth factor and leptin.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)172-178
Number of pages7
JournalPediatric Research
Volume54
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Aug 2003

Funding

FundersFunder number
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentR03HD039248

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