Skip to main content
Fig. 4 | BMC Medicine

Fig. 4

From: Dexamethasone induces an imbalanced fetal-placental-maternal bile acid circulation: involvement of placental transporters

Fig. 4

Effects of dexamethasone on the expression of fetal rat hepatic BA metabolic enzymes and rat placental bile acid transporters and nuclear receptors. The mRNA abundance of cytochrome P450 family 7 subfamily A member 1 (Cyp7a1), cytochrome P450 family 27 subfamily A member 1 (Cyp27a1), and bile acid-CoA ligase (Bacl) in male (a) and female (b) fetal livers was measured by RT-qPCR. The mRNA expression of organic anion transporter polypeptide-related protein 2b1 (Oatp2b1), breast cancer resistance protein (Bcrp), organic anion transporter polypeptide-related protein 4a1 (Oatp4a1), and multidrug resistance-associated proteins 4 (Mrp4) in male (c) and female (d) placentas were measured by RT-qPCR. Immunohistochemistry for Oatp2b1, Bcrp, and Mrp4 (e) in paraffin-embedded placenta tissue sections (5 μm) from the control group and PDE group (magnification × 400). Scale bars 50 μm. n = 5 placentas from five pregnant rats, and three random fields of each section were scored. The corresponding anti-IgG served as non-specific controls (e), and quantitative fold changes of transporters expression were analyzed by ImageJ version 1.44. The mRNA expression of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and farnesoid X receptor (FXR) in male and female (F) fetal placentas were measured by RT-qPCR. The protein expression of GR and FXR in male fetal placentas (g) were measured by western blotting. In each group, n = 11 livers and n = 11 placentas for qRT-PCR, n = 3 for western blotting. Data are presented as mean ± SD. *P < 0.05 vs. control. **P < 0.01 vs. control. PDE, 0.2 mg kg−1 day−1 dexamethasone

Back to article page