The Fas system confers protection against alveolar disruption in hyperoxia-exposed newborn mice.
The functional significance of the Fas/Fas-ligand (FasL) system in hyperoxia-induced lung injury and alveolar disruption in newborn lungs in vivo remains undetermined. To assess the role of the Fas/FasL system, we compared the effects of hyperoxia (95% O2 from birth to Postnatal Day [P]7) in Fas-deficient lpr mice and wild-type mice. Alveolar disruption was more severe in hyperoxic lpr mice than in wild-type mice. In addition, a transient alveolarization defect was noted in normoxic lpr mice. Hyperoxia induced marked up-regulation of pulmonary Fas expression in wild-type mice, as well as elevated mRNA levels of pro-apoptotic Bax, Bad, and Bak. Pulmonary apoptotic activity was similar in hyperoxic wild-type and lpr mice. In contrast, lung growth and proliferation, assessed by stereologic volumetry and Ki67 proliferation studies, were significantly higher in hyperoxic wild-type mice compared with lpr mice, suggesting the Fas/FasL system has a pro-proliferative role in hyperoxic conditions. Levels of the prosurvival MAPkinase, pERK1/2, were significantly higher in hyperoxic wild-type mice compared with lpr mice, while pAkt levels were similar. These data suggest that the primary role of the Fas/FasL system in hyperoxic newborn lungs is pro-proliferative, rather than pro-apoptotic, and likely mediated through a Fas-ERK1/2 pathway. Fas-induced proliferation and lung growth in hyperoxic newborn lungs may counteract, in part, the detrimental effects of apoptosis mediated by non-Fas pathways, such as pro-apoptotic Bax/Bcl-2 family members. The capacity of the Fas/FasL signaling pathway to mediate protective rather than destructive functions in hyperoxic newborn lungs highlights the versatility of this complex pathway.
Mao
Quanfu
Q
Department of Pathology, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island 02905, USA.
Gundavarapu
Sravanthi
S
Patel
Chintan
C
Tsai
Amy
A
Luks
Francois I
FI
De Paepe
Monique E
ME
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D018496:Hyperoxia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D019463:Mice, Inbred MRL lpr; D008954:Models, Biological; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology*; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000378:metabolism; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000378:metabolism*
D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; C491899:Fas protein, mouse; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants; D019014:fas Receptor; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases