维生素 D 缺乏对子代大鼠肺形态结构及血小板源性生长因子-A 表达的影响

目的：研究孕期维生素 D（VitD）缺乏对子代大鼠肺形态发育及血小板源性生长因子-A（PDGF-A）表达的影响。方法：雌性Sprague-Dawley (SD) 大鼠随机分为对照组、VitD 缺乏模型组（每组6只）。对照组正常饲养;模型组予以避光、不含 VitD 的饲料喂养,2周后与成熟 SD 雄性大鼠交配,每组取孕20 d的胎肺及生后1 d 新生鼠肺,光镜及电镜下观察肺形态结构, RT-PCR 及 Western blot 分别检测肺组织PDGF-A mRNA及蛋白水平的表达。结果：光镜下,模型组子鼠肺泡平均表面积、平均呼吸膜周径均小于对照组（P<0.05）,平均肺泡间隔厚度大于对照组（P<0.05）;电镜下,模型组子鼠的板层小体数量明显少于对照组,成熟细胞器较少见。RT-PCR 及 Western blot结果显示模型组子鼠肺组织PDGF-A mRNA和蛋白表达水平均低于对照组（P<0.05）。结论：孕期 VitD 缺乏抑制孕晚期胎鼠及新生大鼠的肺形态发育。VitD 缺乏能显著抑制肺组织 PDGF-A 表达;PDGF-A表达减低可能是VitD缺乏抑制大鼠肺发育的重要机制之一。     

产前使用盐酸氨溴索、地塞米松对大鼠胎肺血小板源性生长因子-A表达的影响

目的探讨产前给盐酸氨溴索、地塞米松对大鼠胎肺血小板源性生长因子-A（PDGF-A）表达的影响。方法9只孕鼠随机分为盐酸氨溴索治疗组、地塞米松治疗组和9g/L盐水对照组,每组3只。分别于孕16、17、18d连续腹腔注射给药,孕19d每只孕鼠取4只胎鼠肺组织用反转录酶-聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）检测PDGF-AmRNA表达水平,每只孕鼠取5只胎鼠肺组织用免疫组织化学法检测PDGF-A蛋白水平表达。结果1.盐酸氨溴索治疗组、地塞米松治疗组PDGF-AmRNA和蛋白表达水平均显著高于对照组（Pa〈0.01）。2.盐酸氨溴索治疗组PDGF-AmRNA和蛋白表达水平显著低于地塞米松治疗组（Pa〈0.01）。结论PDGF-A表达于胎肺组织。产前给盐酸氨溴索、地塞米松均能显著促进PDGF-A表达,PDGF-A高表达可能是盐酸氨溴索、地塞米松促胎肺成熟重要机制之一。     

Plasma amino acids and glucose levels in the rat fetus and dam after chronic maternal alcohol consumption

To evaluate the effect of chronic maternal alcohol consumption on plasma amino acid and glucose levels in both the fetus and the mother, female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 dietary treatment groups. Group 1 (alcohol) was fed ad libitum a stock diet plus 20% alcohol in drinking water for at least 4 weeks before mating and 30% alcohol during gestation. Group 2 was pair-fed the stock diet plus corn starch calorically equivalent to the amount of alcohol consumed by group 1 animals. Group 3 (control) received the stock diet and water ad libitum. On day 21 of gestation the fetuses of alcohol-treated dams weighed significantly less than those of the control and pair-fed groups. Fetal plasma glucose levels were significantly lower in the alcohol group when compared to those of the pair-fed and control groups, while the maternal glucose levels were similar in all three treatment groups. Plasma amino acid concentrations showed no corresponding trends in mother and fetus. Only proline was significantly reduced and alpha-amino-n-butyric acid elevated in the alcohol-treated dams when compared to the pair-fed and control rats. In the fetal plasma, only aspartic acid was significantly lower in the alcohol group when compared to the other two groups. A moderate degree of dehydration occurred in the alcohol-treated dams, but plasma albumin was within normal levels. It is concluded that the marked decrease in the concentration of plasma glucose in alcohol-exposed fetuses may be partially responsible for their retarded growth.     

Effects of maternal undernutrition during late gestation on the lung surfactant system and morphometry in rats

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is associated with reduced lung function during infancy and throughout adulthood. We investigated the effects of maternal undernutrition (50% rations of the control food intake) during the last week of gestation on the pulmonary surfactant system and lung morphometry in postnatal rats. IUGR rats exhibited a significantly lower body weight, lower lung weight, lower lung/body weight ratio, lower lung volume, and lower lung volume/body weight ratio on some postnatal days. IUGR rats had a significantly lower lung saturated phosphatidylcholine and lower plasma corticosterone levels on postnatal d 1 only, and values were comparable between control and IUGR rats in the ensuing weeks. Lung surfactant protein (SP)-A, SP-B, SP-C, and SP-D mRNA expressions were similar between control and IUGR rats. Volume fractions of the alveolar airspace were significantly lower in IUGR rats on postnatal d 7, 14, and 42. Alveolar surface areas were significantly lower in IUGR rats during the study period. The alveolar surface area/body weight ratio reached a peak on postnatal d 7, and values were significantly lower in IUGR rats on postnatal d 1, 14, 28, and 42. We conclude that maternal undernutrition during late gestation decreases lung surfactant lipid levels in the immediate postnatal period and alters the development of lung structure during the postnatal period. Alteration of lung surfactant and structure may be important in the pathogenesis of impaired pulmonary function in IUGR infants and children.     

全反视黄酸对哮喘大鼠气道反应性和气道重塑的影响

目的：观察全反视黄酸(ATRA)对哮喘大鼠气道反应性、气道重塑和肺组织基质金属蛋白酶-9(MMP-9)表达的影响。方法：40只大鼠随机分为5组,每组8只：盐水组、模型组、ATRA组、棉籽油组和布地奈德（BUD）组。后4组经卵清蛋白（OVA）致敏14 d后激发6周,构建大鼠慢性哮喘模型。ATRA组、棉籽油组和BUD组每次激发前分别给予ATRA 50 μg/kg、棉籽油1 mL和BUD 0.32 mg/kg。5组大鼠行气道反应性检测,并测定肺组织MMP-9表达和气道重塑情况。结果：ATRA干预组的气道反应性与盐水组比较差异无统计学意义（P＞0.05）,MMP-9表达高于盐水组,差异具有统计学意义（P＜0.05）。ATRA干预组的气道反应性和MMP-9表达均明显低于模型组,气道重塑改变减轻,差异具有统计学意义（P＜0.05）。结论：早期预防性ATRA干预通过减少肺组织MMP-9表达,可在一定程度上减轻哮喘大鼠的气道重塑和气道高反应性。     

Clearance of calcium across in situ perfused placentas of intrauterine growth-retarded rat fetuses

Maternofetal clearance of 45Ca and 51Cr-EDTA (diffusional marker) were simultaneously measured across in situ perfused placentas of intrauterine growth-retarded (IUGR) and control rat fetuses on d 20 of gestation. IUGR was induced by uterine artery and vein ligation on d 17 of gestation. Control fetuses and their placentas were taken from sham-operated dams. We hypothesized that calcium transfer would be impaired across placentas of IUGR fetuses. The mean body wt of IUGR fetuses was 42% lower, and the mean nose-anus length was 16% lower than those of control fetuses. The mean total calcium content of IUGR fetuses was significantly lower than that of control fetuses, but not when it was normalized to body wt. The mean maternal whole blood ionized calcium concentration was not significantly different in the two groups. The materno-fetal clearance of 45Ca across IUGR placentas was significantly lower than that across control placentas (IUGR = 35.2 +/- 1.9 micro L/min/g placenta, mean +/- SEM; control = 93.1 +/- 12 microliters/min/g placenta, p less than 0.002). In contrast, the maternofetal clearance of 51Cr-EDTA, the reference diffusional marker, was not significantly different across IUGR and control placentas. We conclude that maternofetal transfer of calcium is reduced across placentas of IUGR rat fetuses.     

Vasopressin in oligohydramnios-induced lung hypoplasia

Experimentally-induced oligohydramnios (oligo) produces lung hypoplasia. To determine if arginine vasopressin (AVP), a hormone known to decrease fetal lung fluid production, contributes to the pathogenesis of oligo-induced lung hypoplasia, the following experiment was performed. Brattleboro rats were mated to produce litters either with AVP [heterozygotes (HZ)] or without AVP [homozygotes (HO)]. On d 15 of gestation, half of each litter underwent amniocentesis to create persistent oligo. Littermates with intact membranes served as controls. Four groups of fetuses, i.e. 10 HO litters divided into control (44 fetuses) and oligo (25 fetuses), and eight HZ litters divided into control (35 fetuses) and oligo (18 fetuses), were killed at term for measurement of organ weights and biochemical determination of lung development. Significant differences between control and oligo groups were observed for body weight (HO, p = 0.008; HZ, p = 0.03), lung weight (less than 0.001 for both crossings), lung/body weight ratio (less than 0.001 for both), DNA per lung (HO, p = 0.02; HZ, p less than 0.001), and lung dry/wet ratio (HO, p less than 0.001; HZ, p = 0.001). Oligo groups with and without AVP were not found to be different for lung weight (p = 0.217), lung/body weight ratio (p = 0.209), and DNA per lung (p = 0.822). An analysis of variance confirmed the lack of any significant difference of the impact of oligo in the presence or absence of AVP. We conclude that AVP plays no role in the development of oligo-induced lung hypoplasia.     

Responses of pulmonary platelet-derived growth factor peptides and receptors to hyperoxia and nitric oxide in piglet lungs

The peptides platelet-derived growth factor-A (PDGF-A) and especially -B have important roles in lung development. The effect of hyperoxic exposure with and without inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) on lung expression of PDGF and its receptors is unknown. We hypothesized that hyperoxia exposure would suppress mRNA expression and protein production of these ligands and their receptors. The addition of iNO to hyperoxia may further aggravate the effects of hyperoxia. Thirteen-day-old piglets were randomized to breathe 1) room air (RA); 2) 0.96 fraction of inspired oxygen (O2), or 3) 0.96 fraction of inspired oxygen plus 50 ppm of NO (O2+NO), for 5 d. Lungs were preserved for mRNA, Western immunoblot, and immunohistochemical analyses for PDGF-A and -B and their receptors PDGFR-alpha and -beta. PDGF-B mRNA expression was greater than that of PDGF-A or PDGFR-alpha and -beta in RA piglet lungs (p<0.05). Hyperoxia with or without iNO reduced lung PDGF-B mRNA and protein expression relative to the RA group lungs (p<0.01). PDGF-B immunostain intensity was significantly increased in the alveolar macrophages, which were present in greater numbers in the hyperoxia-exposed piglet lungs, with or without NO (p<0.01). PDGFR-beta immunostaining was significantly increased in airway epithelial cells in O2- and O2+NO-exposed piglets. PDGF-A and PDGFR-alpha immunostain intensity and distribution pattern were unchanged relative to the RA group. Sublethal hyperoxia decreases PDGF-B mRNA and protein expression but not PDGF-A or their receptors in piglet lungs. iNO neither aggravates nor ameliorates this effect.     

Effect of epidermal growth factor on lung growth in experimental fetal pulmonary hypoplasia

The purpose of this study was (1) to compare the expression of epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) in the lung tissues of human fetuses with or without pulmonary hypoplasia, and (2) to investigate the effects of EGF on lung growth in experimental pulmonary hypoplasia in rabbits. Firstly, we investigated the expression of EGFR in lung tissues of human fetuses with or without pulmonary hypoplasia by immunohistochemistry. Secondly, the amniotic fluid was shunted into the maternal abdominal cavity in a group of 12 fetal rabbits, another group (n = 12) received EGF injection (5 microg, i.p.) at day 25 of gestation. The third group (n = 12) was only treated with EGF while littermates not operated on served as the control group (n = 12). On day 29 of gestation, fetuses were delivered by Cesarean section and the lungs removed. The body weight and wet lung and liver weights were measured. As a measure of fetal lung growth, we determined the size of lung acini, the number of terminal airspaces, and diameter of alveoli (n = 6, each groups). We also measured the concentration of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and the lecithin/sphingomyelin (L/S) ratio in lung lavage fluid at birth in some fetuses (n = 6, each groups). In human fetuses with pulmonary hypoplasia, there was a significant decrease in radial alveolar count and expression of EGFR compared with fetuses without pulmonary hypoplasia. Amniotic shunt significantly decreased fetal lung/body weight ratio compared with control. Injection of EGF in the shunted group significantly increased lung/body weight ratio to the control level. The concentration of PC and L/S ratio in lung fluid lavage from rabbit fetuses with hypoplastic lungs was significantly higher than the other three groups. Histopathological examination of fetuses with hypoplastic lungs treated with EGF showed no significant change in the size of acini, number of terminal airspaces or the diameter of alveoli compared with the control group. Our results suggested that EGF was associated with lung growth and maturation of human lung and that treatment of rabbit fetuses with hypoplastic lungs with EGF facilitated lung growth and development.     

Fetal and maternal corticosterone and corticosteroid binding globulin in the diabetic rat gestation

Delayed fetal lung development is a feature of the diabetic pregnancy. Since fetal glucocorticoids are important in the regulation of lung maturation, we measured corticosterone and corticosteroid-binding globulin binding capacity in streptozotocin-diabetic pregnant rats and their fetuses. Previous studies have demonstrated delayed fetal lung maturation in this animal model. In control fetuses, total corticosterone concentration increased through day 20 of gestation, then declined until day 22 (term). The unbound steroid, which accounted for 5-10% of the total, increased approximately 3-fold from day 18 to term. Corticosteroid-binding globulin binding capacity peaked on day 19 after which it decreased. Maternal total and unbound corticosterone levels and corticosteroid-binding globulin binding capacity remained relatively constant throughout the final week of normal gestation. When compared to controls, fetuses from diabetic pregnancies had significantly lower total corticosterone from day 19 through 22. Corticosteroid-binding globulin binding capacity was also significantly decreased in these fetuses for the last 4 days of gestation. Similar differences were noted in maternal samples. However, no significant differences in unbound, biologically active, corticosterone were seen when diabetic and control groups were compared. Thus, delayed fetal lung maturation observed in fetuses of streptozotocin-diabetic rats is associated with a decrease in total circulating corticosteroid levels late in gestation. However, since unbound corticosteroid levels were similar in fetuses of control and diabetic animals, it is likely that other mechanisms may be responsible for the observed delay in lung development in fetuses of diabetic pregnancies.     

Lung Hypoplasia in Developing Mice and Rats Induced by Maternal Exposure to Nitrofen

Abstract: The effects of maternal exposure to 2, 4-dichlorophenyl- p -nitrophenyl ether (nitrofen) on prenatal lung growth were examined by dietary administration (2,000 ppm in ICR mice and 500 ppm in CD rats). Embryos and/or fetuses (conceptuses) were removed from dams on days 12 to 18 of gestation in mice and on days 14 to 20 of gestation in rats. Body and lung weights of the conceptuses were measured. General growth retardation was noted especially in the later period of intrauterine life in both mice and rats. Bilateral retardation of lung development of the nitrofen exposed conceptuses was noticed throughout intrauterine life including the periods before the closure of pleuroperitoneal canals in both species indicating that nitrofen induced primary lung hypoplasia. In mice, the left lung was more hypoplastic than the right one, while it was opposite in rats. The species specificity in side prevalence of the developmental retardation of the lung was observed even before completion of the embryonic diaphragm and it was well in accord with the side on which posterolateral diaphragmatic hernia (Bochdalek's diaphragmatic hernia, BDH) took place later. We conclude that nitrofen induces primary lung hypoplasia regardless of the presence or absence of BDH.     

Delayed Maturation of Fetal Lung in Yellow KK Mice

Yellow KK mice have the A^y allele and spontaneously develop non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). In the present study, female yellow KK mice were mated at 7 or 13 weeks of age (the average blood glucose levels were ca. 260 and 500 mg/dl, respectively), and their fetuses were examined on days 18 or 19 of gestation. The fetuses from 13-wk-old dams were smaller than those from 7-wk-old dams. The average lung weight on day 19 of gestation was slightly greater in the fetuses from 13-wk-old dams than in those from 7-wk-old dams (23.3 vs 21.2 mg). Histologically, alveolar spaces were smaller and alveolar walls were thicker in the fetuses from 13-wk-old dams than in those from 7-wk-old dams. Morphometric analysis revealed that the percentage area of the fetal lung occupied by alveolar spaces was significantly smaller in the former fetuses than in the latter. Day-15 fetal lungs of KK mice, which do not have the A^y allele, were cultured in hyperglycemic media (glucose levels: 400 and 700 mg/dl) for 48 hr. The development of alveoli was inhibited in hyperglycemic media as compared to the development of the lungs grown in the control medium. The inhibitory effect was dependent on the glucose concentration in the media. Thus, it seems that maternal hyperglycemia itself is a major cause of the delayed maturation of the fetal lung in NIDDM mice.     

Adrenocortical imprint in the fetus of a diabetic gestation.

Offspring of diabetics are at increased risk for diabetes as adults. As corticosteroids are intimately involved in glucose homeostasis, we investigated aspects of corticosteroid activity in the late gestation fetuses of control, moderately diabetic and insulin-controlled streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. We found that moderate maternal diabetes had no effect upon litter size or fetal body weight. Uncontrolled maternal diabetes was accompanied by fetal hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia and elevated aldosterone. Maternal insulin treatment normalized fetal glucose and aldosterone; fetal insulin and corticosterone levels increased. Maternal diabetes had no effect upon fetal adrenal expression of P450scc mRNA; the abundance of P450c11beta mRNA increased, and returned to that of the control gestation upon insulin treatment. P450c11AS mRNA was barely detectable, and decreased in the fetuses of insulin-treated diabetics. P450c11B3 mRNA was undetectable in all fetal groups. Our results implicate aspects of maternal diabetes in the expression of a fetal adrenocortical imprint, manifested as a greater abundance of P450c11beta mRNA. Although not accompanied by elevated corticosterone in the fetus, this imprint could ultimately allow for greater potential corticosterone production in response to typical stimuli, and thus contribute to the tendency towards glucose dysregulation in these offspring of diabetic gestations.     

Prenatal ethanol consumption increases retinol and cellular retinol-binding protein expression in the rat fetal snout

Fetal exposure to ethanol disrupts normal craniofacial development, resulting in characteristic features of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). One mechanism that could result in some anomalies of this syndrome is through ethanol disrupting the regulatory role played by vitamin A in fetal development, thereby inducing morphological alterations which manifest as FAS. This work begins to explore a possible interaction of ethanol with vitamin A in craniofacial development. Retinoid levels and the expression of cellular retinol-binding protein (CRBP) and retinoic acid receptor (RAR) mRNA were determined in snouts of 20-day fetuses exposed to ethanol throughout gestation, compared to controls. Snout retinol and retinyl palmitate levels were elevated in fetuses of ethanol-treated rats, but retinoic acid levels were unaffected. The expression of CRBP mRNA, as determined by Northern analysis, was greater in snouts of fetuses exposed to ethanol, but there was no change in RAR alpha, beta, gamma or retinoid X receptor beta mRNA. These results demonstrate that prenatal ethanol consumption can alter certain markers of vitamin A metabolism and function in the fetal snout.     

Induction of cleft palate in aniline hydrochloride-treated rats: Possible effect of maternal methemoglobinemic hypoxia

ABSTRACT  Aniline hydrochloride (AH), a methemoglobin formation-stimulating substance, at a dosage level of 520 mg/kg which does not induce apparent fetal death, was injected subcutaneously into pregnant rats once on day 14, 15 or 16 of gestation in order to assess the stage specificity of cleft palate induction. Also, doses of 260, 390, 520 and 650 mg/kg were administered to pregnant rats on day 15 of gestation, and the dose-response relationships with respect to fetal cleft palate and maternal methemo-globinemia induction were studied. In the stage-specificity study, paleness, decreased body weight gain and elevated methemoglobin concentration were noted in the dams treated with AH. Upon fetal examinations, although reduced body weight was noted in all AH-treated groups, cleft palate was observed only in fetuses from those dams treated on day 15 of gestation. In the dose-dependency study, AH induced maternal methemoglobinemia, decreased fetal body weight and increased the incidence of cleft palate dose dependently when administered at dosage levels of 260, 390, 520 and 650 mg/kg on day 15 of gestation. Additionally, administration of methylene blue, a methemoglobinemia-preventing substance, to the AH-treated dams ameliorated maternal methemoglobinemia and reduced the incidence of fetal cleft palate. In summation, it is considered that AH stage-specifically induces cleft palate in rats and that cleft palate is caused not by a direct teratogenic effect of AH but by maternal hypoxia due to methemoglobinemia.     

The effect of maternal ethanol ingestion on fetal vitamin A in the rat

The effect of maternal ethanol ingestion on fetal tissue vitamin A was investigated. Pregnant rats were pair-fed control diets or diets containing 36% of energy as ethanol. After 17 or 21 d gestation, fetuses were removed and fetal and maternal tissues were analyzed by HPLC for retinol and retinyl palmitate. Ethanol consumption resulted in fewer fetuses per pregnancy, increased number of resorptions, and increased numbers of gross fetal abnormalities. In maternal tissues, ethanol consumption resulted in greater lung and kidney vitamin A concentrations. In the fetuses of ethanol-consuming pregnancies, free retinol in liver was higher at d 17. However, fetal liver palmitate levels and total retinyl palmitate in liver, lung, and kidney were lower in ethanol-fed rats at d 21 of gestation. Fetal lung retinyl palmitate concentrations were greater at both d 17 and d 21, and kidney levels were also greater at d 21. In conclusion, the ingestion of ethanol by pregnant rats is associated with a reduction in fetal liver vitamin A levels and an elevation in the levels of lung and kidney vitamin A, indicating possible altered vitamin A metabolism as a result of ethanol consumption.     

Use of DNA estimation for growth assessment in normal and hypoplastic fetal lungs.

Total DNA was estimated in the lungs of 80 fetuses and newborn infants varying in gestation from 14 weeks to term. In fetuses of appropriate weight for gestational age total lung DNA increased at a constant rate from about 35 mg at 17 weeks'' gestation to 480 mg at term. The lungs of immature fetuses were heavier and contained more DNA relative to body weight than did those of mature infants. Small-for-dates infants had lower lung DNA levels for gestation than infants with weights appropriate for gestational age, but there was no difference when lung DNA was corrected for body weight. Lung hypoplasia defined in terms of lung/body weight ratio was associated with low lung DNA content for gestation, even when corrected for body weight. The total lung DNA at 34-40 weeks'' gestation in infants with lung hypoplasia associated with fetal anuria or urinary outflow obstruction was equivalent to that seen in normal fetuses at 20-22 weeks'' gestation. We conclude that the early second trimester is a critical period for human fetal lung growth.     

Treatment of Mouse Preimplantation Embryos with Adriamycin, Methyl Methanesulfonate and Retinoic Acid Results in Congenital Defects

ABSTRACT Treatment of mouse preimplantation embryos with adriamycin (ADM), methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) and all -trans retinoic acid (RA) on their later development including implantation, growth and organogenesis were investigated. ICR mice were treated intraperitoneally with ADM or MMS on day 3 of gestation, or with RA on day 4 of gestation. The uterine contents were examined on day 18 of gestation. The viable fetuses were inspected for external and skeletal malformations. Irrespective of the kind of chemical agents tested, frequencies of total malformed fetuses were significantly increased, whereas the frequencies were considerably lower than those of malformations in fetuses of dams treated with ADM, MMS or RA during the period of organogenesis. In the fetuses of ADM-treated mice, the most common abnormality was umbilical hernia, followed by cleft palate. In the MMS-treated fetuses, the most common abnormality was cleft palate. Among the malformations observed in this study, duplication of hindlimb (5/193 fetuses) induced by the treatment with RA at the preimplantation stage was a quite unique abnormality. This type of malformation has never before been found in our historical control embryos and in embryos treated with various kind of teratogens. Based on these results and other data, it is concluded that embryos at the preimplantation stage are susceptible to environmental chemical-induced congenital malformations.     

Maternal nicotine effects on vascular endothelial growth factor expression and morphometry in rat lungs

Aims

Maternal smoking during pregnancy may impair pulmonary function in infants, and the exact mechanisms underlying these changes are unknown. We evaluated the effects of maternal nicotine exposure on lung VEGF expression and morphometry during the postnatal period in rats.

Methods and results

Timed pregnant Sprague–Dawley rats were injected subcutaneously with nicotine at a dose of 2 mg/kg/day from Day 3 to Day 21 of gestation. A control group was injected with saline. Body weight, lung weight, and lung volume were comparable between control and nicotine-exposed rats. Plasma vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels and lung VEGF mRNA expression decreased with advancing age, and nicotine exposure insignificantly decreased plasma VEGF levels and lung VEGF mRNA expression, compared with the control rats during the study period. Nicotine exposure caused a significant decrease in vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-2 mRNA expression, compared with the level of the control rats on Postnatal Day 1. On Postnatal Day 1, nicotine-exposed rats exhibited a significantly lower volume fraction of alveolar airspace and alveolar surface area and a significantly higher alveolar wall volume fraction than did the control rats.

Conclusions

Maternal nicotine exposure during pregnancy decreases VEGF and VEGFR-2 mRNA expression and alters lung structure in the lungs of postnatal rats. Because angiogenesis is vital for alveolarization during normal lung development, these results suggest that decreased VEGF expression might be involved in the structural alterations of the developing lung after exposure to antenatal nicotine.