Influence of Obstructive Cholestasis and Sex Hormones on the Ratio of mRNA of Two Alternative Prolactin Receptor Isoforms in Rat Hepatocytes

R. L. Bogorad^1*, T. Y. Zenkova¹, P. M. Rubtsov², and O. V. Smirnova¹

¹Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia; fax: (7-095) 939-4309; E-mail: rbogorad@yahoo.com

²Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Vavilova 32, Moscow 119991, Russia; fax: (7-095) 135-1405

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received November 14, 2003; Revision received February 27, 2004

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The effects of obstructive cholestasis and sex hormones on the total content of prolactin receptor mRNA and ratio of mRNAs of its short and long isoforms have been studied in rat hepatocytes. Obstructive cholestasis caused insignificant changes in total content of prolactin receptor mRNA, but the proportion of mRNA of the long isoform increased. Comparison of prolactin receptor mRNA levels in gonadectomized and intact animals revealed opposite effects of male and female sex hormones on total mRNA, but both groups of these hormones increased the proportion of prolactin receptor short form mRNA. Changes in ratio of mRNA of receptor isoforms found in rat hepatocytes under obstructive cholestasis did not depend on levels of sex hormones. Obstructive cholestasis and sex hormones are suggested to regulate the content of long and short prolactin receptor isoforms in hepatocytes independently.

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KEY WORDS: hepatocytes, obstructive cholestasis, sex hormones, prolactin receptor, isoforms, alternative splicing, reverse transcription, PCR

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