title: Down-regulation of endogenous hydrogen sulfide pathway in pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary vascular structural remodeling induced by high pulmonary blood flow in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The mechanisms responsible for the development of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and pulmonary vascular structural remodeling induced by high pulmonary blood flow are not fully understood. The present study was designed to explore the possible changes in endogenous hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a novel gasotransmitter, on the pathogenesis of PH and pulmonary vascular structural remodeling induced by high pulmonary blood flow.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a shunting group (n=11) and control group (n=11). Rats in the shunting group underwent an abdominal aorta-inferior cava vein shunting operation. After 11 weeks of shunting, the plasma level of H2S and lung tissue H2S producing rate were much lower than those of the control group (p<0.01). In situ hybridization analysis showed that the expression of cystathionine gamma-lyase (CSE) mRNA was down-regulated in the pulmonary arteries of the shunting rats compared with the control group (p<0.01), and competitive quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction showed that the relative amount of CSEmRNA in lung tissue was decreased significantly (p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The endogenous H2S pathway is down-regulated in PH and pulmonary vascular structural remodeling is induced by high pulmonary blood flow.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital and Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Sciences, Ministry of Education, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xiaohui
authors.forename: Du
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Junbao
authors.forename: Shi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jian
authors.forename: Tang
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xiuying
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Jianguang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bing
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hongfang
authors.forename: Tang
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chaoshu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D015536:Down-Regulation; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide / Q000378:metabolism*; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008168:Lung / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide