ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To construct the multi-probe ribonuclease protection assay (RPA) template set to be used for detecting expression patterns of MD-2, TLR4, CD14 mRNAs in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The designed cDNA fragments of the three genes were generated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using specific primers and directionally cloned into EcoR I and Hind III sites of expression plasmid pSP72 containing the T7 promoter, the linearized plasmids was used as template to synthesize anti-sense RNA probes. Then we extracted total RNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and detected the dynamic expression patterns of the three genes with RPA method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The proper sequence and orientation of the template set were confirmed by sequencing and the template set was successfully used to assay TLR4, MD-2 and CD14 mRNAs in human PBMC. The results showed that the three detected genes decreased transiently 1-3 hours after 100 ng/ml LPS stimulation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>These new RPA multi-probe set provided valuable tool for the simultaneous quantitative determination of expression of TLR4, CD14 and MD-2 mRNAs in both constitutive and inducible types.</p>