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Involvement of autocrine mechanism of transforming growth factor-β in the functional differentiation of pregnant mouse mammary gland

Yamamoto T, Komura H, Morishige K, Tadokoro C, Sakata M, Kurachi H, Miyake A. Involvement of autocrine mechanism of transforming growth factor-β in the functional differentiation of pregnant mouse mammary gland. Eur J Endocrinol 1994;130:302–7. ISSN 0804–4643

We studied the presence and possible role of the autocrine mechanism of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in pregnant mouse mammary gland. Northern blot analysis revealed the expression of the TGF-β₁ gene transcript at 2.5 kb in mammary epithelial cells isolated from virgin and mid-pregnant mice. The TGF-β activity was higher in the conditioned medium from mid-pregnant mouse mammary explants than that from virgin explants by a bioassay system using mink lung epithelial cells. A binding study using [¹²⁵I]TGF-β₁ as a ligand showed that pregnant mouse mammary epithelial cells possessed a single class of high-affinity TGF-β₁ binding sites (K_d = 28.0 pmol/l, 1.2 x 10⁴ sites per cell). These results suggested the presence of a TGF-β autocrine mechanism in pregnant mouse mammary epithelial cells. Next, we examined the effect of TGF-β₁ on the functional differentiation of pregnant mouse mammary gland. Transforming growth factor-β₁ inhibited -lactalbumin production in cultured mammary explants from mid-pregnant mice in a dose-dependent manner without inhibiting DNA synthesis. All these results suggest that TGF-β may play a role in regulating the functional differentiation of mouse mammary glands during pregnancy.

Hirohisa Kurachi, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka University Medical School, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565, Japan

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