Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
Department of Bioresource Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Yamagata University, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-8555, Japan.
J Inflamm (Lond). 2007 Sep 26;4:20. doi: 10.1186/1476-9255-4-20.
Cystine/glutamate transporter, system xc-, contributes to the maintenance of intracellular glutathione levels and the redox balance in the extracellular space. The main component of the transporter, xCT, is known to be strongly induced by various stimuli like oxidative stress in mammalian cultured cells. We examined the expression of xCT mRNA in vivo in the experimental endotoxemia.
Northern blot analysis and in situ hybridization were used to investigate the expression of xCT mRNA in the tissues of the mice exposed to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
Northern blot analysis revealed that xCT mRNA was constitutively expressed in the brain, thymus, and spleen, and that the expression of xCT mRNA was strongly up-regulated in thymus and spleen by the administration of a sublethal dose of LPS. In addition to brain, thymus, and spleen, xCT mRNA was detected also in the bronchiolar epithelium of the lung by the administration of the lethal dose of LPS.
xCT is induced in some specific tissues by the administration of LPS. The results suggest that cystine/glutamate transporter plays an important role under the inflammatory conditions.
胱氨酸/谷氨酸转运体系统 xc- 有助于维持细胞内谷胱甘肽水平和细胞外空间的氧化还原平衡。该转运体的主要成分 xCT 已知可被各种刺激强烈诱导，如哺乳动物培养细胞中的氧化应激。我们在实验性内毒素血症中体内检测了 xCT mRNA 的表达。
采用 Northern 印迹分析和原位杂交技术检测了细菌脂多糖（LPS）处理的小鼠组织中 xCT mRNA 的表达。
Northern 印迹分析显示，xCT mRNA 在脑、胸腺和脾中持续表达，亚致死剂量 LPS 处理可强烈上调胸腺和脾中 xCT mRNA 的表达。除脑、胸腺和脾外，给予致死剂量 LPS 也可在肺的细支气管上皮中检测到 xCT mRNA。
LPS 给药可诱导某些特定组织中 xCT 的表达。结果表明，胱氨酸/谷氨酸转运体在炎症条件下发挥重要作用。
