HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 289/1/L44    most recent 00342.2004v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (6) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Chapin, C. J. Articles by Kitterman, J. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Chapin, C. J. Articles by Kitterman, J. A.

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia, tracheal occlusion, thyroid transcription factor-1, and fetal pulmonary epithelial maturation

¹Cardiovascular Research Institute and Departments of ²Surgery and ³Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, California; and ⁴Department of Physiology, Perinatal Research Center, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

Submitted 15 September 2004 ; accepted in final form 10 March 2005

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) occurs in 1:2,500 human births and has high morbidity and mortality rates, primarily due to pulmonary hypoplasia and pulmonary hypertension. Tracheal occlusion (TO), in experimental animals, distends lungs and increases lung growth and alveolar type I cell maturation but decreases surfactant components and reduces alveolar type II cell density. We examined effects of CDH and CDH+TO on lung growth and maturation in fetal rats. To induce CDH, we administered nitrofen (100 mg) to dams at 9.5 days of gestation. We compared lungs from fetuses with CDH, CDH+TO, and those exposed to nitrofen without CDH. CDH decreased lung wet weight bilaterally (P < 0.0001) and DNA content in lung ipsilateral to CDH (P < 0.05). CDH+TO significantly increased lung wet weights bilaterally; DNA content was intermediate between CDH and NC. To evaluate effects on the distal pulmonary epithelium, we examined surfactant mRNA and protein levels, type I and II cell-specific markers (RTI₄₀ and RTII₇₀, respectively), and transcriptional regulator thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1). Decreased lung distension (due to CDH) increased SP-C mRNA and TTF-1 protein expression and reduced RTI₄₀ (P < 0.05 for all). Increased lung distension (due to CDH+TO) reduced expression of SP mRNAs and pro-SP-C and TTF-1 proteins and enhanced expression of RTI₄₀ (mRNA and protein; P < 0.05 for all). We conclude that CDH+TO partially reverses effects of CDH; it corrects the pulmonary hypoplasia and restores type I cell differentiation but adversely affects SP expression in type II cells. These effects may be mediated through changes in TTF-1 expression.

fetal lung development; pulmonary surfactant; alveolar type I and type II cells

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. A. O'Brien, V. Barnes, L. Zhao, R. A. McKnight, X. Yu, C. W. Callaway, L. Wang, J. C. Sun, M. J. Dahl, A. Wint, et al. Uteroplacental insufficiency decreases p53 serine-15 phosphorylation in term IUGR rat lungs Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, July 1, 2007; 293(1): R314 - R322. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]