Dame C, Fahnenstich H, Freitag P, Hofmann D, Abdul-Nour T, Bartmann P, Fandrey J
Department of Neonatology, University of Bonn, The Institute of Physiology, Germany.
Blood. 1998 Nov 1;92(9):3218-25.
Based on animal experiments, a switch of the erythropoietin (EPO) production site from the liver in the fetus to the kidneys in the adult has been postulated. To study the switch in humans, we have quantitated EPO mRNA expression in liver, kidney, spleen, and bone marrow of human fetuses and neonates by means of a competitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Tissue samples from 66 routine postmortem examinations were obtained. EPO mRNA was expressed in 97% of the tissue specimen derived from the liver (n = 66) and in 93% of those from the kidneys (17 weeks of gestation until 18 months after birth; n = 59). For the first time the EPO gene was found expressed in vivo in human spleen (96% of 64 samples) and in fetal and neonatal bone marrow (81% of 21 samples). EPO mRNA expression in the kidneys increased significantly beyond 30 weeks of gestation (P < .05). Although there was a slight decrease in EPO mRNA content per g liver tissue towards birth, the liver accounted for about 80% of the total body EPO mRNA. The contribution of the spleen and bone marrow were minor compared with liver and kidneys. Our results indicate that in humans the liver is the primary site of EPO gene expression not only in fetal, but also in neonatal life. A significant increase of renal EPO mRNA expression after 30 weeks of gestation might indicate the beginning switch.
基于动物实验，推测促红细胞生成素（EPO）的产生部位在胎儿期由肝脏转变为成年期的肾脏。为了研究人类的这种转变，我们通过竞争性聚合酶链反应（PCR）对人类胎儿和新生儿的肝脏、肾脏、脾脏和骨髓中的EPO mRNA表达进行了定量分析。从66例常规尸检中获取了组织样本。EPO mRNA在97%的肝脏组织标本（n = 66）和93%的肾脏组织标本（妊娠17周直至出生后18个月；n = 59）中表达。首次发现EPO基因在人体脾脏（64个样本中的96%）以及胎儿和新生儿骨髓（21个样本中的81%）中体内表达。妊娠30周后，肾脏中的EPO mRNA表达显著增加（P <.05）。尽管每克肝脏组织中的EPO mRNA含量在临近出生时略有下降，但肝脏占全身EPO mRNA总量的约80%。与肝脏和肾脏相比，脾脏和骨髓的贡献较小。我们的结果表明，在人类中，肝脏不仅在胎儿期，而且在新生儿期都是EPO基因表达的主要部位。妊娠30周后肾脏EPO mRNA表达的显著增加可能表明转变开始。
