title: Maturational changes in ovine pulmonary metabolism of platelet-activating factor: implications for postnatal adaptation.
abstract: We recently reported that PAF acetylhydrolase (PAF-Ah) mRNA level and PAF-Ah activity in lamb lungs are up-regulated in the immediate newborn period, thereby facilitating the fall in postnatal PAF levels as well as a fall in pulmonary vascular resistance (B. O. Ibe, F. C. Sardar, and J. U. Raj, Mol Genet Metab 69:46-55, 2000). We have studied hypoxia effects on PAF synthesis and PAF-Ah activity in fetal lamb pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (FPASMC) and endothelial cells (FPAEC). We also studied PAF synthesis by platelets, and PAF-Ah activity in plasma of perinatal lambs at different ages. PAF synthesis (means +/- SEM, pmol/10(6) cells) by SMC in baseline was 168 +/- 27 and increased 3-fold on stimulation with A23187. Hypoxia augmented A23187-stimulated PAF synthesis by 30%. In FPAEC, baseline synthesis was 0.54 +/- 0.062 and increased 3-fold to 1.72 +/-.34. Hypoxia had no effect on PAF synthesis by EC. FPASMC produced over 300-fold more PAF than FPAEC. PAF synthesis by platelets was 47.02 +/- 7.1, 63.4 +/- 6.6, 71.5 +/- 9.9, and 62.2 +/- 5.2 for fetal, and newborn lambs <2 h, <1 day, and 6-12 days, old, respectively. PAF synthesis by platelets of <1 day-old lambs was different from that of fetal lambs. PAF-Ah activity (nmol lyso-PAF/min/mg protein) by FPASMC in normoxia was 3.41 +/- 0.38 which was 50% higher than the rate in hypoxia. Activity in FPAEC was 1.75 +/- 0.37 which was not different from hypoxia. PAF-Ah activity in fetal lamb plasma was 47.83 +/- 6.87 which was different from 155.32 +/- 12.10, the activity in plasma of newborn <1 day old. Activity in the other perinatal lambs did not differ from fetal or newborn <1 d. Our data suggest that lower pulmonary vascular PAF synthesis in normoxia together with higher PAF-Ah activity during immediate postnatal period is necessary to ensure rapid catabolism of PAF in vivo so as to facilitate postnatal adaptation of the pulmonary and systemic circulations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, UCLA School of Medicine, 1124 West Carson Street, Torrance, CA 90502, USA. ibe@prl.humc.edu
authors.forename: B O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Ibe
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kääpä
authors.forename: J U
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Raj
mesh_terms: D043203:1-Alkyl-2-acetylglycerophosphocholine Esterase; D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D008168:Lung / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism; D010741:Phospholipases A / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D010972:Platelet Activating Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012756:Sheep; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D010972:Platelet Activating Factor; D010741:Phospholipases A; D043203:1-Alkyl-2-acetylglycerophosphocholine Esterase