Expression of hypoxia-inducible factors in normal human lung development.
Pulmonary vascular development is essential for proper lung development, and its disturbance can lead to neonatal morbidity and mortality, as exemplified in congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) appear to be key molecules in physiologic angiogenesis and in certain forms of lung pathology, such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Little is known about the qualitative and quantitative expression of HIFs in normal human fetal lung development. Therefore, we investigated the expression of HIF-1alpha, HIF-2alpha, and HIF-3alpha, along with their upstream regulators and downstream targets, von Hippel-Lindau protein, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), and its receptor, VEGFR-2, in 20 normal human fetal lungs (13.5 weeks in gestation until term) and 5 adult lungs. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction demonstrated a positive correlation between HIF-2alpha and VEGF-A expression and gestational age. Although there appeared to be a decreasing trend in HIF-3alpha expression during pregnancy, it did not reach statistical significance. Immunohistochemistry for HIF-1alpha and HIF-2alpha revealed that HIF-1alpha is expressed in the epithelium, while HIF-2alpha is expressed in both interstitium and epithelium. Our data indicate that HIFs, most notably HIF-2alpha, appear to exert an important role in angiogenesis during human fetal lung development, especially in the last phases of pregnancy, preparing the fetus for extrauterine life. As such, our results form the baseline data for the evaluation and interpretation of abnormal pulmonary vascular development.
Rajatapiti
Prapapan
P
Department of Pediatric Surgery, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
van der Horst
Irene W J M
IW
de Rooij
Jessica D
JD
Tran
Maxine G B
MG
Maxwell
Patrick H
PH
Tibboel
Dick
D
Rottier
Robbert
R
de Krijger
Ronald R
RR
D000328:Adult; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D006801:Humans; D051793:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000096:biosynthesis; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051794:Von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000099162:Endothelial PAS Domain-Containing Protein 1
D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D051793:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2; D051794:Von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor Protein; D000099162:Endothelial PAS Domain-Containing Protein 1; C116973:HIF3A protein, human; C467484:VEGFA protein, human