title: [Roles of FIZZ1 and NOTCH1 in asthma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the roles of FIZZ1 and NOTCH1 in the pathogenesis of asthma and the effect of rosiglitazone on airway remodeling.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-five healthy 6 to 8-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group and asthma groups with and without rosiglitazone treatment. The paraffin slices of lung tissues were made to assess the histological changes. a-SMA protein, a specific marker of airway remodeling, in lung tissues was measured by immunohistochemistry. FIZZl-mRNA and NOTCH1-mRNA expression in lung tissues was measured by RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The characteristic changes of airway remodeling were observed in the untreated asthma group. The histological changes in the airway were less severe in the rosiglitazone treated asthma group. Positive a-SMA staining, FIZZl-mRNA and NOTCH1-mRNA were highly expressed in peribronchial lung sections isolated from the untreated asthma group. Rosiglitazone treatment decreased significantly the expression of a-SMA protein, FIZZl-mRNA and NOTCH1-mRNA compared with the untreated asthma group, but the expression of a-SMA protein, FIZZl-mRNA and NOTCH1-mRNA in the rosiglitazone treated asthma group remained higher than the control group. a-SMA expression was positively correlated with FIZZl-mRNA (r=0.826, P<0.01) and NOTCH1-mRNA expression (r=0.9, P<0.01). FIZZl-mRNA expression was positively correlated with NOTCH1-mRNA expression (r=0.76, P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FIZZl and NOTCH1 may induce an increase in a-SMA expression. FIZZl and NOTCH1 play a critical role in the process of airway remodeling. Rosiglitazone treatment may inhibit airway remodeling in asthmatic rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China. luanbin0588@tom.com
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Luan
authors.forename: Xiao-Xia
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Yu-Xia
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zhi-Ying
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins; D056151:Airway Remodeling; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D051881:Receptor, Notch1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051881:Receptor, Notch1; C497763:Notch1 protein, rat; C486575:Retnla protein, rat; C498862:Acta2 protein, rat