| Research Abstract |
It is well known that renin, trigger enzyme of blood pressure control system is mainly produced from juxtaglomerular cells in the kidney. Recently, it has been reported that very small volume of renin is produced by somewhere extrarenal organs or tissues, adrenal gland, brain, reproductive organs and peripheral blood vessels. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method is a useful tool for detection of very small volume of DNA and RNA samples in molecular biological field. The aim of this study is to detect and identify renin-expressing cells in the extrarenal tissues using in situ riverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR method to histological sections, and to clarify the function of coagulating gland renin using hybridohistochemistry, castration and immunoelectron microscopical techniques. In the former, the conditions of probes, digestion, RT and PCR reactions were modified including the concentrations of solutions and several reaction times. In the result, weak reactions were detected to the lymph nodes of the rat. They were restricted to the post capillary venules. In the latter, it was cleared that coagulating gland renin was secreted to seminal lumen by exocrine manner and its expression was regulated by testosterone. These findings are showing that in situ RT-PCR is a useful tool for detection of new local renin-angiotensin system, although the method is advancing even now, and that the coagulating gland renin may effect to female reproductive organs via angiotensinogen synthesis.
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