Lee Hee-Woo, Kim Bong-Seon, Kim Hyung-Jin, Lee Choong-Won, Yoo Hyun-Jung, Kim Jae-Bong, Yoon Sik
Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Pusan National University, 1-10 Ami-Dong, Seo-Gu, 602-739 Busan, South Korea.
Histochem Cell Biol. 2005 Jun;123(4-5):491-500. doi: 10.1007/s00418-005-0751-z. Epub 2005 Apr 21.
The receptor activator of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB ligand (RANKL; also termed TRANCE/OPGL/ODF/TNFSF11), a new member of the tumor-necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily, was identified as a key cytokine involved in the differentiation of the immune system and the regulation of immunity as well as in bone metabolism. In particular, RANKL-deficient mice showed defects in the early differentiation of T lymphocytes, suggesting that RANKL is a novel regulator of early thymocyte development. Here, we describe the expression of RANKL during regeneration following acute involution induced by cyclophosphamide in the rat thymus. The present study demonstrates the presence and upregulated expression of the RANKL in thymic subcapsular, paraseptal, perivascular, and medullary epithelial cells during thymus regeneration. Our results suggest that the RANKL expressed in these thymic epithelial cells plays a role in the development of T cells during thymic regeneration.
核因子（NF）-κB 配体的受体激活剂（RANKL；也称为TRANCE/OPGL/ODF/TNFSF11）是肿瘤坏死因子（TNF）超家族的一个新成员，被确定为参与免疫系统分化、免疫调节以及骨代谢的关键细胞因子。特别是，RANKL 缺陷小鼠在 T 淋巴细胞的早期分化中表现出缺陷，这表明 RANKL 是早期胸腺细胞发育的新型调节因子。在此，我们描述了环磷酰胺诱导大鼠胸腺急性退化后再生过程中 RANKL 的表达情况。本研究证明了在胸腺再生过程中，RANKL 在胸腺被膜下、隔旁、血管周围和髓质上皮细胞中存在且表达上调。我们的结果表明，这些胸腺上皮细胞中表达的 RANKL 在胸腺再生过程中对 T 细胞的发育起作用。
