title: Alterations in alveolar epithelium differentiation and vasculogenesis in lungs of LIF/IGF-I double deficient embryos.
abstract: Previous studies on double deficient mice for leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) reported that they died of respiratory failure, with abnormal lung histology and altered expression of pulmonary markers. Here we analyzed prenatal Lif/Igf-I double mutant mouse embryos to characterize LIF and IGF-I cooperative roles in distal lung epithelium and vascular maturation. Lungs of IGF-I-deficient embryos displayed a higher proportion of type II pneumocytes, less differentiated type I pneumocytes, and failure in alveolar capillary remodeling compared to wild type and LIF-deficient mice. Lif/Igf-I double knockout lungs showed aggravated pulmonary hypoplasia, lower airway volume, increased proliferation, and elevated levels of ERK1/2 activation. In addition, their alveoli were collapsed and lined by type II cells. The differentiation of type I cells barely occurred and capillaries remained in the abundant mesenchyme. These results indicate that LIF collaborates with IGF-I in lung alveolar epithelium and vascular maturation.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Moreno-Barriuso
authors.forename: Ana V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: López-Malpartida
authors.forename: Flora
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de Pablo
authors.forename: José G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Pichel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004848:Epithelium / Q000098:blood supply / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D008168:Lung / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D010766:Phosphorylation; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015850:Interleukin-6; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; C507838:Lif protein, mouse; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases