Hepcidin expression in mouse retina and its regulation via lipopolysaccharide/Toll-like receptor-4 pathway independent of Hfe.

ABSTRACT: Hepcidin is a hormone central to the regulation of iron homeostasis in the body. It is believed to be produced exclusively by the liver. Ferroportin, an iron exporter, is the receptor for hepcidin. This transporter/receptor is expressed in Müller cells, photoreceptor cells and the RPE (retinal pigment epithelium) within the retina. Since the retina is protected by the retinal-blood barriers, we asked whether ferroportin in the retina is regulated by hepcidin in the circulation or whether the retina produces hepcidin for regulation of its own iron homeostasis. Here we show that hepcidin is expressed robustly in Müller cells, photoreceptor cells and RPE cells, closely resembling the expression pattern of ferroportin. We also show that bacterial LPS (lipopolysaccharide) is a regulator of hepc

SUBMITTER: Gnana-Prakasam JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3731152 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature