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.     

Retinoic acid fails to reverse oligohydramnios-induced pulmonary hypoplasia in fetal rats

All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) stimulates platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-A expression and enhances alveolarization in rat lungs. On d 16 of gestation, pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to either a retinoic acid group (intragastric ATRA at 10 mg/kg body weight) or a vehicle group. We punctured each amniotic sac, and fetuses in the opposite uterine horn served as controls. On d 21 of gestation, the fetuses were delivered by cesarean section. Rats subjected to oligohydramnios exhibited significantly lower lung weights and lung/body weight ratios, and ATRA had no effects on the body or lung weights of oligohydramnios-exposed rats. Lung PDGF-A and -B mRNA expression was significantly lower in oligohydramnios-exposed rats compared with control littermates of maternal vehicle-treated dams. Maternal retinoic acid treatment significantly increased PDGF-A and -B mRNA expression in control and oligohydramnios-exposed rats compared with all rats and oligohydramnios-exposed rats of maternal vehicle-treated dams, respectively. Rats exposed to oligohydramnios exhibited a significantly lower generation of alveolar saccules than did control rats in the maternal retinoic acid- and vehicle-treated groups. In this model, maternal retinoic acid treatment showed no positive effects on oligohydramnios-induced pulmonary hypoplasia in the pseudoglandular stage.     

PDGF-beta receptor expression in the dorsocaudal brainstem parallels hypoxic ventilatory depression in the developing rat

The temporal trajectory of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-beta receptor activation within the dorsocaudal brainstem parallels that of the mild hypoxic ventilatory depression (HVD) seen in adult rats. We hypothesized that enhanced PDGF-beta receptor activity may account for the particularly prominent HVD of developing mammals. To study this issue, 2-, 5-, 10-, and 20-d-old rats underwent hypoxic challenges (10% O(2) for 30 min) after pretreatment with either vehicle (Veh) or the selective PDGF-beta receptor antagonist CGP57148B (intraperitoneal 100 mg/kg). The developmental characteristics and magnitude of the peak hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR) were not modified by the PDGF-beta receptor blocker. However, HVD was markedly attenuated by CGP57148B, and such effect, although still present, gradually abated with increasing postnatal age [p < 0.001, analysis of variance (ANOVA)]. Hypercapnic ventilatory responses were not affected by CGP57148B. The expression of PDGF-beta receptor in the dorsocaudal brainstem was assessed by immunoblotting and confirmed progressively decreasing expression with maturation. We conclude that PDGF-beta receptor activation during hypoxia is an important contributor to HVD at all postnatal ages but more particularly in the immature rat.     

Alveolarization in retinoic acid receptor-beta-deficient mice

Retinoids bind to nuclear receptors [retinoic acid receptors (RARs) and retinoid X receptors]. RARbeta, one of three isoforms of RARs (alpha, beta, and gamma), is expressed in the fetal and adult lung. We hypothesized that RARbeta plays a role in alveolarization. Using morphometric analysis, we determined that there was a significant increase in the volume density of airspace in the alveolar region of the lung at 28, 42, and 56 d postnatal age in RARbeta null mice when compared with wild-type controls. The mean cord length of the respiratory airspaces was increased in RARbeta null animals at 42 d postnatal age. Respiratory gas-exchange surface area per unit lung volume was significantly decreased in RARbeta null animals at 28, 42, and 56 d postnatal age. In addition, alveolar ducts tended to comprise a greater proportion of the lung airspaces in the RARbeta null mice. The RARbeta null mice also had impaired respiratory function when compared with wild-type control mice. There was no effect of RARbeta gene deletion on lung platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor alpha mRNA levels in postnatal lung tissue at several postnatal ages. However PDGF-A protein levels were significantly lower in the RARbeta null mice than in wild-type controls. Thus, deletion of the RARbeta gene impairs the formation of the distal airspaces during the postnatal phase of lung maturation in mice via a pathway that may involve PDGF-A.     

Short-term mechanical ventilation increases airway reactivity in rat pups

We used a rat pup model to delineate whether mechanical ventilation of 95% O2). After each intervention, they were returned to their mothers. On d 10 of life, all animals were anesthetized, paralyzed, and ventilated to measure pulmonary function. Total lung resistance (RL) and dynamic lung compliance (Cdyn) were measured in response to increasing intravenous doses of methacholine (0.03-1 microg/g) by head-out body plethysmography. Injection of methacholine caused a dose-dependent increase in RL and decrease in Cdyn. The response of both RL and Cdyn to methacholine was significantly potentiated by prior exposure to mechanical ventilation when compared with unventilated normoxic controls. The addition of hyperoxia to mechanical ventilation did not further potentiate responses to methacholine. Mechanical ventilation did not alter lung myosin or the number of inflammatory cells in airways of room air ventilated versus unventilated control animals. We conclude that a brief period of mechanical ventilation in rat pups increases airway reactivity 48 h after such exposure in the presence as well as absence of hyperoxic exposure. This represents a potentially important model to investigate the mechanisms involved in airway hyperreactivity induced by neonatal lung injury.     

血小板源生长因子α亚基受体结构域切除对血管平滑肌凋亡和c-sis基因表达的影响

目的 探讨从血小板源生长因子α(platelet-derived growth factor,PDGF-α)受体水平阻断对肺血管平滑肌细胞凋亡和c-sis基因表达的影响。方法 采用两种方法干预肺动脉平滑肌细胞(vascular smooth muscular cells,VSMC),一种是在培养液中分别给予不同剂量的受体结构域切除的PDGF—α受体腺病毒重组体Ad5CMV-PaRtr(ACP),另一种是加入固定的中浓度ACP液后再分别加入不同浓度的血小板源生长因子BB(PDGF-BB),对不同组细胞的细胞周期、凋亡细胞百分率和c-sis原癌基因表达进行测定。结果 中、大浓度ACP对细胞增殖有明显的抑制作用,且使凋亡细胞百分率明显升高。在中浓度ACP的作用下,加入PDGF-BB不能促进VSMC的增殖,亦不改变细胞的凋亡水平。不同浓度的ACP可使c—sis mRNA的表达上调。在中浓度ACP的作用下,加入PDGF-BB可下调c—sis mRNA的表达。结论 ACP作为细胞增殖的抑制剂,能在中、大剂量下明显增加Go／G1期细胞的数量,抑制肺VSMC的增殖,增加细胞的凋亡率,同时使c-sis mRNA的表达上调。     

血小板衍生生长因子对肺发育的影响

目的探讨血小板衍生生长因子(PDGF)在胚胎和生后新生大鼠肺发育中的作用机制,研究其对肺分支形态形成,肺实质和间质发育调控原理。方法应用免疫组织化学法和RT-PCR法半定量分析和检测各时间点(胚胎18、20、21d和生后1、4、7、14、21d)PDGFmRNA及其表达水平。结果在胚胎晚期,PDGF表达于肺间质细胞和肺实质细胞胞浆。出生后随日龄增加,PDG-FmRNA及其表达呈动态变化,组间比较差异显著(P<0.05,P<0.01)。结论PDGF在肺分支形态发育和肺组织细胞增殖中起着关键作用,它不仅参与肺泡数量调节,而且是肺间质细胞和肺实质细胞分化成熟不可缺少的因子。     

Expression of pulmonary metallothionein genes in late gestational lambs.

Metallothioneins (MT) are low molecular weight proteins that are important in providing protection against heavy metals such as cadmium. Other precise physiologic roles for this family of proteins are less clear, but fetal hepatic cell proliferation and differentiation may be regulated through changes in MT levels and attendant MT-mediated regulation of zinc levels. The role of MT in other developing tissue, most notably lung, is far less clear. Although expression of MT has been reported to be extremely low in early postnatal and mature lung, we hypothesized that MT has a more ubiquitous role in organ development and that pulmonary MT levels may be elevated during periods of rapid lung growth. Thus, we studied expression of MT in late-gestation fetal lambs. Sheep are particularly useful because alveolarization of lung parenchyma occurs before birth (by d 120 of a normal 147-d gestation). Immunoreactive MT was localized to bronchial epithelium of fetal, newborn, and mature sheep. The intensity of staining was greatest in the 130-d gestational age (saccular) lung, where positive reaction product was noted in the cytoplasm and nucleus of alveolar epithelial and interstitial cells. We next evaluated MT expression in developing lung tissue using Northern blot analysis and 32P-cDNA probes against the 3'-untranslated regions of mRNA encoding each of four known functional sheep MT (sMT) isoforms. Expression of sMT-II, sMT-Ia, and sMT-Ib was restricted to the saccular stage (120-132 d gestational age), and sMT-Ic mRNA was not detected in pulmonary samples from any stage of development.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Altered expressions of fibroblast growth factor receptors and alveolarization in neonatal mice exposed to 85% oxygen

In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that exposure of newborn mice to sublethal hyperoxia would alter lung development and expressions of fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs)-3 and FGFR-4. Newborn FVB mice were exposed to 85% O2 or maintained in room air for up to 14 d. No animal mortality was observed, and body weight gains were not affected by hyperoxia. At postnatal d 7 and 14 (P7, P14), lungs of mice exposed to 85% O2 showed fewer alveolar secondary crests and larger alveoli or terminal air spaces than did mice in room air. In pups kept in room air, lung levels of FGFR-3 and FGFR-4 mRNA were greater at P3 than at P1, but similar increases were not observed in hyperoxic mice. Immunoreactivity of FGFR-3 and FGFR-4 was lower in lungs of hyperoxic mice than in controls at P14. In pups kept in room air, lung fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-7 mRNA levels were greater at P14 than at P1, but similar changes were not observed in hyperoxic mice. The temporally and spatially specific alterations in the expressions of FGFR-3, FGFR-4, and FGF-7 in the mice exposed to hyperoxia may contribute to aberrant lung development.     

Prevention of pulmonary alveolar macrophage proliferation in newborn rabbits by hyperoxia

As a test of the hypothesis that hyperoxia might hinder the growth of nascent lung macrophages, term newborn rabbits were treated with room air or increasing oxygen concentrations (40%, 80%, or greater than or equal to 95%) for 96 hours after birth. After 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours of environmental exposure, pulmonary alveolar macrophage population kinetics were determined by three methods: (1) bronchoalveolar lavage cell yields, (2) thymidine incorporation by macrophages, and (3) assessment of macrophage cell division by mitotic indices. Newborn rabbits kept in room air or 40% inspired O2 showed a steady increase of macrophages in lung lavage, but pups treated with 80% or greater than or equal to 95% oxygen showed no rise of macrophage yield in lung washings after 96 hours of exposure (P less than 0.02). The diminished macrophage yield noted in pups treated with 80% or greater than or equal to 95% oxygen was explained by rates of thymidine uptake and macrophages replication (mitotic indices) that were greater than 12-fold lower than values seen in rabbit pups housed in room air or 40% inspired O2 for 96 hours (P less than 0.05). These findings could not be attributed to malnutrition caused by oxygen toxicity because all groups appeared well and gained weight equally during the period of exposure. We conclude that acute hyperoxia impedes the intraalveolar proliferation of lung macrophages, an observation that may have implications regarding host defense and for repair and growth of the lung in neonates needing respiratory support.     

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。     

Repeated acute hypoxia temporarily attenuates the ventilatory respiratory response to hypoxia in conscious newborn rats.

We asked whether repeated hypoxic exposures during the early neonatal periods could affect the ventilatory control, such as the lung volume-dependent ventilatory inhibition (HBR), pulmonary ventilation (VE), and CO2 production (VCO2). Within each litter of rats, one group of pups (experimental group H) was exposed to 6% O2 (30-min duration twice a day from postnatal d 1 to 4). The other group (control group C) was exposed to air. At 5 d after birth, the HBR was triggered by lung inflation via negative body surface pressure (10 cm H2O). Measurements of VE and VCO2 were done by plethysmography and the inflow-outflow CO2 difference, respectively. At 2 wk of age, VE and VCO2 measurements were repeated by the barometric technique and the inflow-outflow CO2 difference, respectively. Each conscious pup was breathing normoxia (21% O2) and then hypoxia (10% O2). Results were as follows: 1) during normoxia, HBR was stronger and both VE and VCO2 were higher in H pups than in C pups; 2) during hypoxia, the HBR of C was as in normoxia, whereas that of H was increased above the normoxic value; 3) during hypoxia, C maintained VE, whereas H decreased it; 4) in hypoxia, VCO2 was reduced significantly in both groups; 5) at 2 wk of age, VE and VCO2 did not differ between H and C during normoxia or in response to 10% hypoxia. We conclude that in rat pups, repeated hypoxic episodes can modify the HBR and, at least temporarily, reduce the VE response to hypoxia with a decrease in VCO2. The findings are in agreement with the view that repeated hypoxic exposures in the neonatal period could interfere with the development of respiratory control and could possibly be involved in the mechanisms of neonatal apnea or sudden infant death syndrome.     

早产大鼠高氧肺损伤组织还原型烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸脱氢酶的动态表达及其意义

目的探讨还原型烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸（NADH）脱氢酶亚单位1、2、5在早产大鼠高氧肺损伤组织中的动态表达及其意义。方法早产新生大鼠生后1d随机分为高氧和空气组，高氧组持续暴露于850mL／L氧气中，空气组置同一室内常压空气中。分别取二组大鼠高氧或空气暴露后1、4、7、10和14d肺组织标本，采用HE染色观察肺组织形态学改变，采用RT—PCR法在mRNA水平检测NADH脱氢酶亚单位1、2、5的表达。结果1，高氧暴露1、4d，早产大鼠肺组织形态较空气组无明显改变；高氧暴露7、10d，肺组织渐出现小血管充血扩张，肺泡腔内炎性细胞浸润，肺泡间隔增厚，肺泡数目减少、结构简单化和囊泡化等改变。2．空气组NADH脱氢酶亚单位1（ND1）和亚单位2（ND2）mRNA的表达随日龄增长渐降低，至7d时最低，随后其表达逐渐增高；空气组NADH脱氢酶亚单位5（ND5）mRNA的表达随日龄增长渐降低，至4d时最低，随后其表达逐渐增高。3．与同时间点空气组相比，高氧暴露后1、4和7dND1和ND5mRNA表达显著增强（Pa〈0．05），随后其表达渐下降，10、14d时低于空气组，但二者相比差异无显著性意义（Pa〉0，05）；与同时间点空气组相比，高氧暴露后1、4dND2mRNA表达二组间差异无显著性意义（Pa〉0．05），7d时较空气组极显著增强（P〈0．01），10、14d时较空气组显著降低（P。〈0．05）。结论高氧可导致早产大鼠肺组织NADH脱氢酶表达改变，提示其可能参与高氧肺损伤的病理生理过程。     

Influence of intrauterine growth restriction on airway development in fetal and postnatal sheep

Epidemiologic studies suggest that intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) can lead to impaired lung function, yet little information exists on the effects of IUGR on airway development. Our objectives were to characterize morphometrically effects of IUGR on airway structure in the fetus and to determine whether alterations persist into postnatal life. We used two groups of sheep, each with appropriate controls; a fetal group was subjected to IUGR by restriction of placental function from 120 to 140 d (term approximately 147 d), and a postnatal group, killed 8 wk after birth, was subjected to IUGR from 120 d to birth at term. In both fetuses and postnatal lambs, IUGR did not alter lung weight relative to body weight. In IUGR fetuses, the luminal areas and basement membrane perimeters of the trachea and larger bronchi (generations 0-8, trachea = 0) were smaller than in controls. Airway wall areas, relative to basement membrane perimeters, were reduced in IUGR fetuses compared with controls, largely due to reduced areas of cartilage and epithelium. At 8 wk after birth, there were no significant differences in airway dimensions between IUGR and control lambs. However, the number of profiles of bronchial submucosal glands, relative to basement membrane perimeters, was lower in IUGR lambs than in controls and the area of epithelial mucin was increased. We conclude that restriction of fetal growth during late gestation impairs the growth of bronchial walls that could affect airway compliance in the immediate postnatal period. Although airway growth deficits are reversed by 8 wk, alterations in mucus elements persist.     

Inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responsiveness of surfactant proteins in fetal and neonatal rabbit lung

Spontaneous preterm birth due to intrauterine infection is associated with increased concentrations of cytokines in amniotic fluid and in the airways at birth. Intra-amniotic IL-1 induces fetal lung maturity, consistent with the decrease in the incidence of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in intrauterine inflammation. On the other hand, antenatal corticosteroid decreases the incidence of RDS in infants born prematurely. The aim of the present study was to investigate the interaction between IL-1 and glucocorticoid in the expression of the surfactant proteins SP-A, -B, and -C. Lung explants from rabbit fetuses at 22 (immature), 27 (transitional), and 30 (mature) d of gestation (term, 30-31 d) and on d 1 after term birth were cultured with dexamethasone (Dx), IL-1alpha, or vehicle in the presence or absence of actinomycin D. According to the present results, IL-1alpha and Dx additively increased the expression of SP-A and SP-B on d 22. Later in gestation, SP-B and SP-C were suppressed by IL-1, whereas glucocorticoid tended to increase the expression of SP-B and SP-C and prevented the IL-1-induced suppression of SP. IL-1alpha and steroid interactively increased the stability of SP mRNA compared with the single agonist, possibly explaining the additive effects on the SP mRNA levels. The present results reveal beneficial additive effects of glucocorticoid and cytokine on lung surfactant. They may explain some of the acute beneficial effects of glucocorticoid therapy in chorioamnionitis before premature birth and in inflammatory lung disease after birth.     

Intrauterine growth-retarded rat pups show increased susceptibility to pulmonary O2 toxicity

We used a nutritional deprivation model to produce intrauterine growth-retarded (IGR) rat pups (birth weight = approximately 75% of normal). The IGR newborns evidenced a marked reduction in tolerance to greater than 95% O2 exposure: 10-day survival = 10/47 (21%) versus 18/36 (50%) for control pups, and LT50 = 7.2 days versus 10 days for controls (p less than 0.01). Various lung parameters at birth and during O2 exposure were examined to try to define why prenatal undernutrition should compromise the survival of IGR rats in hyperoxia. We found decreased lung glutathione peroxidase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity (with normal superoxide dismutase and catalase levels) in the IGRs at birth; decreased lung disaturated phosphatidylcholine content (even more markedly decreased in 1-day premature pups); and decreased lung surface area/body weight. These factors and other features of newborn IGRs reported in the literature may help to explain how prenatal undernutrition compromises postnatal tolerance to prolonged high-O2 exposure.     

血小板衍生生长因子及其受体在人及小鼠神经肌肉接头的表达研究

目的 探讨血小板衍生生长因子及其受体在正常人和小鼠肌肉组织神经肌肉接头的表达及其对神经肌肉接头功能的调节作用.方法 应用特异性血小板衍生生长因子-A及其a受体多克隆抗体,检测正常人和小鼠神经肌肉接头血小板衍生生长因子及其a受体的表达;对正常人肌肉标本连续切片进行血小板衍生生长因子和乙酰胆碱受体免疫染色;用双重荧光免疫方法进行血小板衍生生长因子及其a受体和乙酰胆碱受体的双重定位.结果 血小板衍生生长因子及其a受体分别定位于人和小鼠的神经肌肉接头,与乙酰胆碱受体紧密合一.结论 血小板衍生生长因子及其a受体积聚于人和小鼠的神经肌肉接头,血小板衍生生长因子可能参与突触前后组分之间的相互作用,对正常及疾病肌肉的神经肌肉接头处信号传导发挥作用.     

The role of selenium nutrition in the development of neonatal rat lung

Our study was designed to assess the role of selenium (Se) in development of neonatal lungs under conditions of normoxia and hyperoxia. Thirty-six female Sprague Dawley rats were bred and fed a Se-deficient (0.03 ppm Se) or a Se-adequate (0.5 ppm Se) diet during pregnancy and lactation. At d 2 postpartum, 24 litters were randomly assigned to either high oxygen (greater than 95%) or air and were cross-fostered for 4 d. Lung weight was significantly enhanced in Se-adequate pups and was not related to high oxygen or air exposure of either the pups or dams. Two types of histologic lesions were observed in the lungs of the pups: septal attenuation and interstitial inflammation. When reared in oxygen, all (17 of 17) Se-deficient pups had lesions. In contrast, only 60% (9 of 15) of Se-adequate pups were affected (p less than 0.01). Lung lesions also were more severe in Se-deficient pups. Se-deficient pups also displayed a significant degree of septal attenuation when reared in air. Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase activity in the pup lung was significantly elevated in response to hyperoxia and was unrelated to Se nutriture. No differences in activities of lung superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione s-transferase were noted between Se-deficient and Se-adequate pups reared in air or high oxygen environments. These data indicate that Se has an important role in the development of neonatal lungs, a role that is even more pronounced during conditions of hyperoxia. The protective role of Se in developing lung tissue cannot be completely explained by enhanced glutathione peroxidase activity.     

Pulmonary neuroendocrine cell system in pediatric lung disease-recent advances.

The airway epithelium of human and animal lungs contains highly specialized pulmonary neuroendocrine cells (PNEC), distributed as solitary cells and as innervated clusters, neuroepithelial bodies (NEB). The designation "PNEC system" stems from the expression of both neural and endocrine cell phenotypes, including the synthesis and release of amine (serotonin, 5-HT) and a variety of neuropeptides (that is, bombesin). The role and function of PNEC in the lung have remained a subject of speculation for many years. During the last decade, studies using modern techniques of cellular and molecular biology revealed a complex functional role for PNEC, beginning during the early stages of lung development as modulators of fetal lung growth and differentiation and at the time of birth as airway O2 sensors involved in neonatal adaptation. Postnatally and beyond, PNEC/NEB are providers of a lung stem cell niche that is important in airway epithelial regeneration and lung carcinogenesis. The focus of this review is to present and discuss recent findings pertaining to the responses of PNEC to intrauterine environmental stimuli, ontogeny and molecular regulation of PNEC differentiation, innervation of NEB, and their role as airway chemoreceptors, including mechanisms of O2 sensing and chemotransmission of hypoxia stimulus. Abnormalities of PNEC/NEB have been reported in a variety of pediatric pulmonary disorders but the clinical significance or the mechanisms involved are unknown. The discussion on the possible role of PNEC/NEB in the pathogenesis and pathobiology of pediatric lung diseases includes congenital lung disorders, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, disorders of respiratory control, neuroendocrine hyperplasia of infancy, cystic fibrosis, bronchial asthma, and pulmonary hypertension.     

高氧致慢性肺疾病新生大鼠肺组织尿激酶型纤溶酶原激活因子和纤溶酶原激活物抑制因子1表达的动态改变及意义

目的 慢性肺疾病(Chronic lung disease,CLD)的特征性病理改变是肺发育受阻和肺问质纤维化,因此胶原等细胞外基质(extracellular matrix,ECM)重塑在肺纤维化形成中的作用已成为当今的研究热点.纤溶系统也是调节ECM降解和基质金属蛋白酶(MMPs)活性的重要因素.这里我们制备了吸入高浓度氧(高氧)致新生大鼠CLD的模型,探讨尿激酶型纤溶酶原激活因子(urokinase-plasminogen activator,u-PA)和纤溶酶原激活物抑制因子(plasminogen activator inhibitor-1.PAI-1)在新生大鼠CLD中的动态变化和意义.方法 足月新牛大鼠生后12h内,分别于0.90～0.95氧和卒气中持续暴露,于1、3、7,14、21 d光镜下观察不同时间点的病理改变,应用Western Blotting和RT-PCR的方法分别检测肺组织u-PA、PAI-1蛋白及mRNA表达的动态改变.结果 (1)病理改变:3d时高氧组可见炎件反应;7d时肺发育障碍,间隔增宽,胶原纤维沉积.(2)u-PA表达:高氧暴露3d时,蛋白表达较对照组明显升高(115.52±7.10 vs 96.51±6.33),P<0.01;高氧组在7～21 d(97.66±7.98,99.91±7.60,103.23±6.24)与对照组比较(112.43±6.01,123.25±8.35,103.23±6.24)降低,P值分别为<0.05,<0.01,<0.01.mRNA表达在高氧暴露3d时较对照组明显升高(1.18±0.07 vs 0.99±0.05),P<0.01,7 d至21 d(1.01±0.06,1.10±0.12,1.27±0.06)与对照组比较(1.15±0.08,1.51±0.32,1.60±0.24)降低,P均<0.01.(3)PAI-1表达:高氧暴露后7～21 d,蛋白表达(147.83±12.27,149.07±11.17,161.42±13.08)明显高于同期对照组(116.18±10.67,113.73±15.58,126.60±8.59),P值分别<0.01,<0.05,<0.O1;mRNA表达在7～21 d(1.49±0.28,1.46±0.31,1.51±0.33)也高于同期对照组(0.94±0.01,0.94±0.03,0.98±0.03),P<0.05,<0.01和<0.05.结论 新生大鼠高氧暴露早期,肺组织u-PA/PAI-lmRNA及蛋白表达增强,纤溶和降解活性增强;高氧暴露中晚期,u-PA/PAI-lmRNA及蛋白表达降低,纤溶和降解活性降低,与肺纤维沉积平行,提示u-PA/PAI-1失衡参与了高氧致CLD的纤维化形成过程.