Expression of heme oxygenase-1 in rat ontogeny

  • Watanabe Takaoki
    Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences Division of Digestive and General Surgery, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences
  • Hasegawa Go
    Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences
  • Yamamoto Takashi
    Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences
  • Hatakeyama Katsuyoshi
    Division of Digestive and General Surgery, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences
  • Suematsu Makoto
    Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Keio University
  • Naito Makoto
    Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences

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Description

Heme oxygenase (HO), the heme-degrading enzyme, plays an important role in heme catabolism. Among three isozymes, HO-1 is an inducible form expressed mainly in macrophages. In rat ontogeny, HO-1 immunoreactivity was detected in mononuclear cells in the yolk sac at 10 days of gestation. HO-1-expressing cells were then detected in the fetal liver and their numbers increased during the gestational period. The numbers of HO-1-positive cells and HO-1 mRNA levels in the liver peaked at 18 days of gestation. Most of the macrophages expressed both HO-1 and a macrophage scavenger receptor. Macrophages in the fetal liver showed marked hemophagocytosis. Macrophages in the lung, spleen, bone marrow, and other tissues also expressed HO-1. HO-1 immunoreactivity was also observed in syncytial cells of the chorionic villi, the endodermal layer of the yolk sac, and renal tubules of the fetus. Intestinal mucosal epithelial cells expressed HO-1 after birth. These findings imply that HO-1 is crucial for macrophages in heme catabolism from an early stage of ontogeny. HO-1 expression in non-macrophagic cells may be required for other purposes such as protection from oxidative stress and various stimuli.

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