Expression of superoxide dismutase in cells of the female reproductive organs as well as malignant cells of these organs.

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Reactive oxygen species have been shown to play critical roles in the pathogenesis of various diseases and the roles of superoxide dismutases (SOD) as scavenger enzyme have been emphasized in oxygen radical studies. In the present study, to investigate the role of Mn-SOD in ceuluar metabolism, expressin of Mn-SOD mRNA was examined in rat female reproductive organs and the following results were obtained.1. During the pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG)/human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) -induced ovulatory process, and during the estrous cycle,(1) . Expression was observed in theca interna cells and granulosa cells of ovulating follicles before ovulation occurred, and in the corpora lutea after ovulation occurred. Expression of Mn-SOD mRNA in the ovary was noted in cells that initiate progesterone synthesis.(2) . Luminal epithelial cells showed maximal expression of Mn-SOD mRNA about 10-12 h after ovulation in the uterus. Uterine eosinophils which possess estrogen binding sites showed cyclic changes in strong expression of the transcripts.(3) . The expression level in the vagina changed after ovulatoin occurred.(4) . The epithelial cells in the oviduct did not express Mn-SOD mRNA throught the ovulatory process or the estrous cycle.2. Expresison in the uterus and vagina can be induced in immature rats by estradiol injection.These results suggest that expresison of Mn-SOD mRNA is involved in hormone-induced metabolic changes.We synthesize RNA probes for mice Mn-SOD mRNA and utilize for detecting Mn-SOD mRNA in vaginal epithelium in normal mice. Further studies using normal and acatalasemic mice which lack catalase activity are in progress. As RNA probes for human Mn-SOD mRNA have not been synthesized yet, studies using human malignant cells have been performed.