title: [Altered expressions of alkane monooxygenase and hypoxia inducible factor-1α expression in lung tissue of rat hypoxic pulmonary hypertension].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the altered expressions of alkane monooxygenase (AlkB) and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) in a rat model of hypoxic pulmonary arterial hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty Wistar rats were divided randomly into normal control and hypoxia groups after 1-week adaptive feeding. Hypoxia group was raised in a homemade organic glass tank with a 24-h continuous supply of air and nitrogen atmospheric mixed gas. And the oxygen concentration of (10.0 ± 0.5)% was controlled by oxygen monitoring control system. The control group was maintained in room air. Both groups stayed in the same room with the same diet. After 8 weeks, the level of mean pulmonary pressure (mPAP) was measured by right-heart catheterization, right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVHI) calculated by the ratio of right ventricle to left ventricle plus septum and hypoxic pulmonary vascular remodeling (HPSR) observed under microscope. And the levels of AlkB and HIF-1α mRNA and protein in lungs were measured by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 8 weeks post-hypoxia, compared with the control group [11.0 ± 0.7 mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa), 0.210 ± 0.035], the levels of mPAP and RVHI in hypoxia group (33.3 ± 1.3 mm Hg, 0.448 ± 0.013) increased significantly (both P < 0.05), the expressions of AlkB mRNA and protein in pulmonary tissue decreased significantly (0.338 ± 0.085 vs 0.688 ± 0.020, P < 0.01) (0.483 ± 0.052 vs 0.204 ± 0.010, P < 0.01), and the expressions of HIF-1α mRNA and protein increased significantly (0.790 ± 0.161 vs 0.422 ± 0.096, P < 0.01) (0.893 ± 0.080 vs 0.346 ± 0.008, P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The down-regulation of AlkB in lung tissue may increase the activity of HIF-1 to participate in the occurrence and development of pulmonary hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Second Hospital, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, China.
authors.forename: Hua-jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Second Hospital, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, China. Email: yyd1108@126.com.
authors.forename: Ya-dong
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Yuan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D042926:Cytochrome P-450 CYP4A / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000150:complications; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism*; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: C497444:Hif1a protein, rat; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D042926:Cytochrome P-450 CYP4A