Hormonal system for regulating local defense

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It has been known that hormones regulate several functions as a physiological ligand. Renin-angiotensin system (RAS)plays functions for regulating blood pressure and water-mineral balance. Renin produced mainly from kidney is thought to be also synthesized by other tissues, however, its real functions are under discussion. In the present study, the relationship between RAS and local immune defense were investigated by morphological and biochemical techniques. The morphological analysis of renin knockout mice suggested the following results. The kidneys of null mutant mice showing more or less hydronephrosis, possessed the characteristics of the endothelial hypertrophy and the proliferation of smooth muscle cells. Blood pressure was markedly decreased. Numerous nerve fibers were observed surrounding intrarenal vessel walls by PGP9.5-immunostaining. On the other hand, no morphological changes were detected in the extrarenal tissues, especially in the coagulating gland. These results suggested that renin is essential for renal morphogenesis, but is compensated in the extrarenal tissues by other unknown factors. The localization of inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS) was investigated in mouse testis in attention to immune defense. Interestingly, iNOS was detected in association to the distribution of blood-testis barrier, in which its immunoreactivity was changed according to seminiferous stages. Additionally, the analysis of meiotic metaphase-specific apoptosis in the testis of MRL strain was resulted that it was caused by the genetic mutation of Exonuclease 1. Finally, to investigate the potent function of oviduct glycoprotein, transgenic mice carrying its promoter and SV large T antigen genes were created, resulting that its expression was associated with tumorigenesis of thyroid gland.