Effects of antenatal administration of dexamethasone and betamethasone on signal transduction of bone morphogenetic protein in the fetal lungs of rats / 中国当代儿科杂志
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics
;
(12): 891-896, 2010.
Article
in Chinese
| WPRIM
| ID: wpr-286956
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the role of antenatal glucocorticoid (dexamethasone and betamethasone) on bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signal transduction of the rat fetal lungs.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifteen pregnant rats were randomly divided into five groups the rats treated with dexamethasone for 1 day (1D-DEX) or 3 days (3D-DEX), with betamethasone for 1 day (1D-BEX) or 3 days (3D-BEX) or with normal saline (control group), followed cesarean section on the 19th day of gestation. The mRNA levels of BMP4, BMPR-II, Smad1 and ATF-2 of fetal rat lungs were ascertained by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The expression of BMP4, BMPR-II, Smad1 and ATF-2 antigen expression in fetal lungs was assessed by immune histochemical staining. The expression of BMP4 and BMPR-II was determined by Western blot.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The levels of BMP4, BMPR-II and Smad1 mRNA expression were up-regulated in the 1D-BEX, 3D-BEX and 3D-DEX groups compared with those in the control group (P<0.05). The immune histochemiscal analysis showed that the expression of BMP4, BMPR-II, Phospho-Smad1 (pSmad1) and ATF-2 in the 1D-BEX, 3D-BEX and 3D-DEX groups was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.01). The results of Western blot demonstrated that the expression of BMP4 and BMPR-II protein increased significantly in the 1D-BEX, 3D-BEX and 3D-DEX groups when compared with the control group (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Betamethasone and dexamethasone may play important roles in the regulation of BMP signal transduction in the rat fetal lungs. Up-regulation of BMP4, BMPR-II and Smad1 might be one of crucial factors for the glucocorticoid-induced maturity of fetal lungs.</p>
Full text:
Available
Index:
WPRIM (Western Pacific)
Main subject:
Pharmacology
/
Physiology
/
Betamethasone
/
Dexamethasone
/
Signal Transduction
/
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
/
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
/
Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptors, Type II
/
Smad1 Protein
/
Activating Transcription Factor 2
Limits:
Animals
/
Pregnancy
Language:
Chinese
Journal:
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics
Year:
2010
Type:
Article
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