title: Release of cytokines and apoptosis in fetal rat Type II pneumocytes exposed to hyperoxia and nitric oxide: modulatory effects of dexamethasone and pentoxifylline.
abstract: The response of the fetal rat Type II pneumocyte (FTIIP), the stem cell of the alveolar epithelium, to hyperoxia would be helpful to understand the effects of oxygen-induced injury to the immature lung. In such a scenario, the presence of nitric oxide (NO) may have a protective or detrimental effect. Our goals were to evaluate the release of cytokines and apoptotic cell death in freshly isolated FTIIP (19-day) in the presence of 95% O(2) and/or NO. The effects of dexamethasone and pentoxifylline on the FTIIP cytokine response were also studied. There was no significant difference in the levels of IL-1beta and IL-10 from FTIIP, in room air, hyperoxia and/or NO at 2, 6 and 24 h. However, IL-6 release was significantly higher, when measured over time, after 2, 6 and 24 h of exposure to hyperoxia and NO. Dexamethasone in the presence of hyperoxia and/or NO increased the release of IL-10 at 24 h. There was increased apoptosis in FTIIP exposed to hyperoxia alone and in combination with NO; this was significantly attenuated in the presence of dexamethasone and pentoxifylline. We speculate that the cytoprotective effects of dexamethasone in the immature lung may, in part, be mediated via IL-10.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gavino
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bhandari
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000187:drug effects*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D018496:Hyperoxia / Q000378:metabolism*; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D010431:Pentoxifylline / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D003907:Dexamethasone; D010431:Pentoxifylline