Pulmonary hypoxia increases endothelin-1 gene expression in sheep.
The hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstrictor response (HPVR) is a physiologic mechanism for directing pulmonary blood flow to nonhypoxic regions of the lung. The mechanism of this response remains unclear. To investigate the role of endothelin-1 (ET-1), a potent vasoconstrictor produced by vascular endothelium, in HPVR an in vivo model of alveolar hypoxia was developed. When one lung in an anesthetized sheep was made hypoxic, the static ET-1 mRNA levels in lung tissue increased in proportion to the observed decrease in pulmonary blood flow (Qp) to that lung. With reversal of hypoxia, Qp and ET-1 levels returned to baseline. This relationship between alveolar hypoxia and ET-1 mRNA levels suggests a role for ET-1 in the local pulmonary response to hypoxia.
Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
D M
DM
Donahue
M E
ME
Lee
H C
HC
Suen
T
T
Quertermous
J C
JC
Wain
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D016232:Endothelins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000098:blood supply / Q000503:physiopathology; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012756:Sheep; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000502:physiology*
D017931:DNA Primers; D016232:Endothelins; D012333:RNA, Messenger