Thrombopoietin production in wild-type and interleukin-6 knockout mice with acute inflammation.

Clinical and laboratory studies indicate that thrombopoietin (TPO) gene expression increases during inflammation. To clarify the role of interleukin 6 (IL-6) in this process, blood cell counts, plasma TPO concentrations, and hepatic and renal TPO mRNA levels were investigated in wild-type and IL-6 knockout mice, with sterile abscesses produced by subcutaneous injection of turpentine oil. Treatment did not cause a change in blood cell counts during the 72 h period of observation.

Expression of angiopoietin 1 and 2 in ectopic endometrium on the chicken chorioallantoic membrane.

Objective: To investigate the role of angiopoietin 1 and 2 (ANGPT1/ANGPT2) in angiogenesis of the ectopic endometrium as a crucial step in the development of an endometriotic lesion, we analyzed their expression patterns in an experimental model of endometriosis.

Design: Experimental prospective study.

Setting: University hospital.

Thrombopoietin gene expression in the developing human central nervous system.

Thrombopoietin gene expression in the human adult central nervous system (CNS) appears to be locally restricted. The aim of this study was to identify areas of thrombopoietin expression in the developing human CNS, and to compare the thrombopoietin mRNA content in the CNS to that in liver and kidneys as major sites of thrombopoietin production. Thrombopoietin protein concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were measured by ELISA.

Differential induction of matrix metalloproteinase 1 and 2 in ectopic endometrium.

According to the transplantation theory, endometriosis develops from endometrial fragments that are retrogradely menstruated into the peritoneal cavity. In order to develop into endometriotic lesions, they have to connect to the vascular system by angiogenesis, probably involving matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) as key enzymes in extracellular matrix remodelling. A model of endometriosis using the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of chick embryos was established.

The kidney as a second site of human C-reactive protein formation in vivo.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is the main acute phase reactant in humans. Its production is presumably restricted to the liver but extrahepatic expression by inflamed tissue has not been studied in detail. By real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry we here show that renal cortical tubular epithelial cells (TEC) express CRP mRNA and protein within 6 h after stimulation with conditioned medium (CM) or IL-6, but not IL-1alpha or TNF-alpha.

Thrombopoietin production in human hepatic cell cultures (HepG2) is resistant to IFN-alpha, IFN-beta, and IFN-gamma treatment.

Thrombocytopenia is an important complication of interferon (IFN) therapy for chronic viral hepatitis. To study whether IFN interferes with hepatic thrombopoietin (TPO) synthesis, we used the human hepatoma cell line HepG2. Our results show that IFN-alpha, IFN-beta, or IFN-gamma did not impair TPO mRNA expression, as determined by quantitative RT-PCR, even when high IFN doses (up to 5000 U/ml) or long-term incubations (up to 14 days) were applied.

Thrombopoietin: the novel hepatic hormone.

The glycoprotein thrombopoietin (TPO) is the major stimulator of megakaryopoiesis and platelet production. Hepatocytes express TPO mRNA at a constant rate. The plasma TPO level is inversely correlated to the mass of megakaryocytes and platelets, which degrade the hormone following its binding to specific membrane receptors.