title: [Changes of apelin and its receptor in lung tissue of rats with pulmonary hypertension induced by monocrotaline].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the change of apelin and its receptor (APJ) in the lung tissue of rats with pulmonary hypertension induced by monocrotaline and to explore its significance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five male SD rats were randomly divided into control group (n = 10) and monocrotaline group (n = 15). On the twenty-first day after the rats were intraperitoneally injected 60 mg/kg monocrotaline for monocrotaline group or equal volume vehicle for control group, the mean pulmonary artery pressure was measured by right heart catheterization. Histopathological study of lung tissue was done with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Masson's trichrome staining. The concentration of apelin in the plasma was measured by radioimmunoassay. The expressions of apelin/APJ proteins and genes in lung tissue were measured respectively by Western blot and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean pulmonary arterial pressure, right ventricular hypertrophy, pulmonary vascular remodeling index, content of apelin protein in lung tissue of monocrotaline group were higher than those in control group. APJ protein and gene expression in monocrotaline group were significantly lower than those in control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), but apelin gene expression in the lung tissue between the two groups had no significant difference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endogenous apelin/APJ dysfunction may play an important role in the development of pulmonary hypertension induced by monocrotaline.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hypoxia Medicine, Teaching Center of Medical Functional Experiment, Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou 325035, China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Gui-Qin
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ling-Xia
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Xing-Yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ran
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiao-Xia
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Yong-Sheng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Xiao-Fang
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Fan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000073861:Apelin; D000075244:Apelin Receptors; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism*; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D016686:Monocrotaline / Q000009:adverse effects*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000073861:Apelin; D000075244:Apelin Receptors; C498579:Apln protein, rat; C491284:Aplnr protein, rat; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D016686:Monocrotaline