ABSTRACT
Objective To observe the expression changes of noggin mRNA and BMP4 mRNA in the hippocampus and frontal cortex of rats at different stages. Methods The expressions of noggin mRNA and BMP4 mRNA were analyzed by the method of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR).Results It was revealed that the level of noggin mRNA in the frontal cortex decreased significantly in P1W rats but high level of BMP4 mRNA was detected in P1M and P3M rats. The expressions of noggin mRNA and BMP4 mRNA in the hippocampus showed the opposite expression pattern. The peak of noggin mRNA expression in the hippocampus was found in E13 and E16 rats. The expression of noggin mRNA decreased gradually but that of BMP4 mRNA in hippocampus increased gradually during the developmental stage. The peak of the expression of BMP4 mRNA was found in P1M rats. Conclusion There are expressions of noggin mRNA and BMP4 mRNA in the frontal cortex and hippocampus in rats at different developmental stages. The expression level is closely correlated with the developmental age. This indicates that noggin and BMP4 play important roles in the development of rat frontal cortex and hippocampus.