老年大鼠下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺轴炎性衰老相关基因表达特征

目的探讨炎性衰老的炎性细胞因子网络机制。方法清洁级健康雄性SD大鼠分为4月龄（4m）和24月龄（24m）二组，每组各10只。分别取各组大鼠下丘脑、垂体和肾上腺组织，应用炎症细胞因子与受体基因芯片进行基因表达检测，绘制基冈表达谱，筛选有表达差异的基因。结果与4m组相比，24m组下丘脑、垂体和肾上腺组织中表达上调的促炎性反应细胞因子与受体基因分别有6个、7个和9个，表达下调的抗炎细胞因子与受体基因分别有3个、4个和3个（P〈0．05）。三种组织中表达都上调的促炎性反应细胞因子与受体基因有白介素、肿瘤坏死因子和趋化因子。结论老年大鼠下丘脑－垂体－肾上腺轴组织存在促炎性细胞因子基因表达上调，导致促－抗炎性细胞因子网络和促－抗炎性反应体系平衡失调，这可能是炎性衰老中出现高促炎性反应状态的原因和炎性衰老发生的新机制。

Inflamm-aging related gene expression in aged rat hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis

Objective The work was to investigate the mechanism of inflammatory cytokine network in the development of inflamm-aging. Methods Healthy male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 2 groups： 4m group （n= 10） with 4- month-old rats and 24m group （n= 10） with 24-month-old rats. Gene expression profiles of rat hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal tissues from both group were analyzed by using inflammatory cytokines and receptors cDNA microarrays, re- spectively. Differentially expressed genes were screened. Results Compared with 4m group, there were 6,7 and 9 differentially up-regulated expressed pro-inflammatory genes, while 3,4 and 3down-regulated expressed anti-inflammatory genes in rat hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal tissues in 24m group, respectively （P 〈0.05）. Conclusions Gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and receptors was upregulated in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis of aged rat, which may eventually contribute to disequilibrium of the network of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and receptors and disequilibrium of response of pro- and anti-inflammatory system and high inflammatory response state, thus providing new mechanistic insight into inflamm-aging.