Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Reproduction, Fertility and Development Reproduction, Fertility and Development Society
Vertebrate reproductive science and technology
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Role of platelet-derived growth factor-B, vascular endothelial growth factor, insulin-like growth factor-II, mitogen-activated protein kinase and transforming growth factor-β1 in expansion-induced lung growth in fetal sheep

Megan J. Wallace A B , Alison M. Thiel A , Andrea M. Lines A , Graeme R. Polglase A , Foula Sozo A and Stuart B. Hooper A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Physiology, Monash University, Vic. 3800, Australia.

B Corresponding author. Email: megan.wallace@med.monash.edu.au

Reproduction, Fertility and Development 18(6) 655-665 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD05163
Submitted: 13 December 2005  Accepted: 21 March 2006   Published: 22 June 2006

Abstract

Increased fetal lung expansion induces lung growth, cell differentiation and extracellular matrix remodelling, although the mechanisms involved are unknown. Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-B, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-II are mitogens activating the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, whereas transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 induces differentiation and extracellular matrix remodelling. In the present study, we investigated the mRNA levels of PDGF-B, VEGF, IGF-II and TGF-β1, as well as active MAPK levels, during increased fetal lung expansion induced by tracheal obstruction (TO) in sheep for 0 (controls), 36 h or 2, 4, or 10 days (n = 5 in each group). The 3.7-kb VEGF transcript increased by 30% (P < 0.05) at 36 h TO. The expression of PDGF-B decreased by approximately 25% (P < 0.01) at 2–10 days TO. In contrast, TGF-β1 mRNA increased by 96% (P < 0.05) at 10 days TO, when bioactive TGF-β1 decreased by 55% (P < 0.05). Insulin-like growth factor-II mRNA tended to increase at 10 days TO (37% above controls; P = 0.07), whereas mRNA for its receptor, IGF1R, was reduced by TO. There was no change in active MAPK levels preceding or at the time of a TO-induced 800% increase in cell proliferation. We conclude that VEGF is likely to promote expansion-induced endothelial cell proliferation, but the mechanisms underlying expansion-induced proliferation of fibroblasts and alveolar epithelial cells are unlikely to be mediated by increases in PDGF-B or IGF-II expression or activation of the MAPK pathway.

Extra keywords: fetal lung development, fetal lung growth, growth factors, tracheal obstruction.


Acknowledgments

The authors are indebted to Alex Satragno for his assistance with the surgical preparation of animals and to Valerie Zahra and Caitlin Filby for assistance in the laboratory. The authors thank Chris Woodall (Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Edinburgh, UK) for the gift of the TGF-β1 and PDGF-B cDNA probes. The experiments described in the present study were funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NH&MRC).


References

Acarregui, M. J. , Penisten, S. T. , Goss, K. L. , Ramirez, K. , and Snyder, J. M. (1999). Vascular endothelial growth factor gene expression in human fetal lung in vitro. Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol. 20, 14–23.
PubMed |

Alcorn, D. , Adamson, T. M. , Lambert, T. F. , Maloney, J. E. , Ritchie, B. C. , and Robinson, P. M. (1977). Morphological effects of chronic tracheal ligation and drainage in the fetal lamb lung. J. Anat. 123, 649–660.
PubMed |

Banes, A. J. , Tsuzaki, M. , Yamamoto, J. , Fischer, T. , Brigman, B. , Brown, T. , and Miller, L. (1995). Mechanoreception at the cellular level: the detection, interpretation, and diversity of responses to mechanical signals. Biochem. Cell Biol. 73, 349–365.
PubMed |

Batchelor, D. C. , Hutchins, A. M. , Klempt, M. , and Skinner, S. J. (1995). Developmental changes in the expression patterns of IGFs, type 1 IGF receptor and IGF-binding proteins-2 and -4 in perinatal rat lung. J. Mol. Endocrinol. 15, 105–115.
PubMed |

Bhatt, A. J. , Amin, S. B. , Chess, P. R. , Watkins, R. H. , and Maniscalco, W. M. (2000). Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and Flk-1 in developing and glucocorticoid-treated mouse lung. Pediatr. Res. 47, 606–613.
PubMed |

Blakesley, V. A. , Scrimgeour, A. , Esposito, D. , and Le Roith, D. (1996). Signaling via the insulin-like growth factor-I receptor: does it differ from insulin receptor signaling? Cytokine Growth Factor Rev. 7, 153–159.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Brandes, M. E. , and Finkelstein, J. N. (1989). Stimulated rabbit alveolar macrophages secrete a growth factor for type II pneumocytes. Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol. 1, 101–109.
PubMed |

Buch, S. , Jones, C. , Sweezey, N. , Tanswell, K. , and Post, M. (1991). Platelet-derived growth factor and growth-related genes in rat lung I. Developmental expression. Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol. 5, 371–376.
PubMed |

Carmel, J. A. , Friedman, F. , and Adams, F. H. (1965). Fetal tracheal ligation and lung development. Am. J. Dis. Child. 109, 452–456.
PubMed |

Cheung, C. Y. , and Brace, R. A. (1998). Ovine vascular endothelial growth factor: nucleotide sequence and expression in fetal tissues. Growth Factors 16, 11–22.
PubMed |

Clark, D. A. , and Coker, R. (1998). Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta). Int. J. Biochem. Cell Biol. 30, 293–298.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

De Paepe, M. E. , Johnson, B. D. , Papadakis, K. , Sueishi, K. , and Luks, F. I. (1998a). Temporal pattern of accelerated lung growth after tracheal occlusion in the fetal rabbit. Am. J. Pathol. 152, 179–190.
PubMed |

De Paepe, M. E. , Papadakis, K. , Johnson, B. D. , and Luks, F. I. (1998b). Fate of the type II pneumocyte following tracheal occlusion in utero: a time-course study in fetal sheep. Virchows Arch. 432, 7–16.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

DiFiore, J. W. , Fauza, D. O. , Slavin, R. , and Wilson, J. M. (1995). Experimental fetal tracheal ligation and congenital diaphragmatic hernia: a pulmonary vascular morphometric analysis. J. Pediatr. Surg. 30, 917–923.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Eickelberg, O. , Kohler, E. , Reichenberger, F. , Bertschin, S. , Woodtli, T. , Erne, P. , Perruchoud, A. P. , and Roth, M. (1999). Extracellular matrix deposition by primary human lung fibroblasts in response to TGF-β1 and TGF-β3. Am. J. Physiol. 276, L814–L824.
PubMed |

Flecknoe, S. , Harding, R. , Maritz, G. , and Hooper, S. B. (2000). Increased lung expansion alters the proportions of type I and type II alveolar epithelial cells in fetal sheep. Am. J. Physiol. 278, L1180–L1185.


Garrington, T. P. , and Johnson, G. L. (1999). Organization and regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways. Curr. Opin. Cell Biol. 11, 211–218.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Geiger, R. , Berger, R. M. , Hess, J. , Bogers, A. J. , Sharma, H. S. , and Mooi, W. J. (2000). Enhanced expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in pulmonary plexogenic arteriopathy due to congenital heart disease. J. Pathol. 191, 202–207.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Hamill, O. P. , and McBride, D. W. (1996). The pharmacology of mechanogated membrane ion channels. Pharmacol. Rev. 48, 231–252.
PubMed |

Han, R. N. N. , Mawdsley, C. , Souza, P. , Tanswell, A. K. , and Post, M. (1992). Platelet-derived growth factors and growth related genes in rat lung. III. Immunolocalization during fetal development. Pediatr. Res. 31, 323–329.
PubMed |

Harding, R. , Hooper, S. B. , and Han, V. K. M. (1993). Abolition of fetal breathing movements by spinal cord transection leads to reductions in fetal lung liquid volume, lung growth and IGF-II gene expression. Pediatr. Res. 34, 148–153.
PubMed |

Hooper, S. B. , Han, V. K. M. , and Harding, R. (1993). Changes in lung expansion alter pulmonary DNA synthesis and IGF-II gene expression in fetal sheep. Am. J. Physiol. 265, L403–L409.
PubMed |

Ingber, D. (1991). Integrins as mechanochemical transducers. Curr. Opin. Cell Biol. 3, 841–848.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Islam, S. , Donahoe, P. K. , and Schnitzer, J. J. (1999). Tracheal ligation increases mitogen-activated protein kinase activity and attenuates surfactant protein B mRNA in fetal sheep lungs. J. Surg. Res. 84, 19–23.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Keramidaris, E. , Hooper, S. B. , and Harding, R. (1996). Effect of gestational age on the increase in fetal lung growth following tracheal obstruction. Exp. Lung Res. 22, 283–298.
PubMed |

Khachigian, L. M. , Anderson, K. R. , Halnon, N. J. , Gimbrone, M. A. , Resnick, N. , and Collins, T. (1997). Egr-1 is activated in endothelial cells exposed to fluid shear stress and interacts with a novel shear-stress-response element in the PDGF A-chain promoter. Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 17, 2280–2286.
PubMed |

Laiho, M. , and Keski-Oja, J. (1992). Transforming growth factors-beta as regulators of cellular growth and phenotype. Crit. Rev. Oncog. 3, 1–26.
PubMed |

Lines, A. , Nardo, L. , Phillips, I. D. , Possmayer, F. , and Hooper, S. B. (1999). Alterations in lung expansion affect surfactant protein A, B and C mRNA levels in fetal sheep. Am. J. Physiol. 276, L239–L245.
PubMed |

Liu, M. , Liu, J. , Buch, S. , Tanswell, A. K. , and Post, M. (1995). Antisense oligonucleotides against PDGF-B and its receptor inhibit mechanical strain-induced fetal lung cell growth. Am. J. Physiol. 269, L178–L184.
PubMed |

Luks, F. I. , Wild, Y. K. , Piasecki, G. J. , and De Paepe, M. E. (2000). Short-term tracheal occlusion corrects pulmonary vascular anomalies in the fetal lamb with diaphragmatic hernia. Surgery 128, 266–272.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Masui, T. , Wakefield, L. M. , Lechner, J. F. , LaVeck, M. A. , Sporn, M. B. , and Harris, C. C. (1986). Type beta transforming growth factor is the primary differentiation-inducing serum factor for normal human bronchial epithelial cells. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 83, 2438–2442.
PubMed |

McGrath-Morrow, S. A. , Cho, C. , Cho, C. , Zhen, L. , Hicklin, D. J. , and Tuder, R. M. (2005). Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 blockade disrupts postnatal lung development. Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol. 32, 420–427.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Moessinger, A. C. , Harding, R. , Adamson, T. M. , Singh, M. , and Kiu, G. T. (1990). Role of lung fluid volume in growth and maturation of the fetal sheep lung. J. Clin. Invest. 86, 1270–1277.
PubMed |

Muratore, C. S. , Nguyen, H. T. , Ziegler, M. M. , and Wilson, J. M. (2000). Stretch-induced upregulation of VEGF gene expression in murine pulmonary culture: a role for angiogenesis in lung development. J. Pediatr. Surg. 35, 906–913.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Nardo, L. , Hooper, S. B. , and Harding, R. (1995). Lung hypoplasia can be reversed by short-term obstruction of the trachea in fetal sheep. Pediatr. Res. 38, 690–696.
PubMed |

Nardo, L. , Hooper, S. B. , and Harding, R. (1998). Stimulation of lung growth by tracheal obstruction in fetal sheep: relation to luminal pressure and lung liquid volume. Pediatr. Res. 43, 184–190.
PubMed |

Nardo, L. , Maritz, G. , Harding, R. , and Hooper, S. B. (2000). Changes in lung structure and cellular division induced by tracheal obstruction in fetal sheep. Exp. Lung Res. 26, 105–119.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Neufeld, G. , Cohen, T. , Gengrinovitch, S. , and Poltorak, Z. (1999). Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors. FASEB J. 13, 9–22.
PubMed |

Ng, Y. S. , Rohan, R. , Sunday, M. E. , deMello, D. E. , and D'Amore, P. A. (2001). Differential expression of VEGF isoforms in mouse during development and in the adult. Dev. Dyn. 220, 112–121.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Pedram, A. , Razandi, M. , and Levin, E. R. (1998). Extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase/Jun kinase cross-talk underlies vascular endothelial cell growth factor-induced endothelial cell proliferation. J. Biol. Chem. 273, 26 722–26 728.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Piedboeuf, B. , Laberge, J.-M. , Ghitulescu, G. , Gamache, M. , Petrov, P. , Belanger, S. , Chen, M.-F. , Hashim, E. , and Possmayer, F. (1997). Deleterious effect of tracheal obstruction on type 2 pneumocytes in fetal sheep. Pediatr. Res. 41, 473–479.
PubMed |

Probyn, M. E. , Wallace, M. J. , and Hooper, S. B. (2000). Effect of increased lung expansion on lung growth and development near midgestation in fetal sheep. Pediatr. Res. 47, 806–812.
PubMed |

Quinn, T. P. , Schlueter, M. , Soifer, S. J. , and Gutierrez, J. A. (2002). Cyclic mechanical stretch induces VEGF and FGF-2 expression in pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cells. Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol. 282, L897–L903.
PubMed |

Ross, R. , Raines, E. W. , and Bowen-Pope, D. F. (1986). The biology of platelet-derived growth factor. Cell 46, 155–169.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Ryan, R. M. , Mineo-Kuhn, M. M. , Kramer, C. M. , and Finkelstein, J. N. (1994). Growth factors alter neonatal type II alveolar epithelial cell proliferation. Am. J. Physiol. 266, L17–L22.
PubMed |

Sims, J. R. , Karp, S. , and Ingber, D. E. (1992). Altering the cellular mechanical force balance results in integrated changes in cell, cytoskeletal and nuclear shape. J. Cell Sci. 103, 1215–1222.
PubMed |

Souza, P. , Sedlackova, L. , Kuliszewski, M. , Wang, J. , Liu, J. , Tseu, I. , Liu, M. , Tanswell, A. K. , and Post, M. (1994). Antisense oligodeoxynucleotides targeting PDGF-B mRNA inhibit cell proliferation during embryonic rat lung development. Development 120, 2163–2173.
PubMed |

Sozo, F. , Wallace, M. J. , Zahra, V. A. , Filby, C. E. , and Hooper, S. B. (2006). Gene expression profiling during increased fetal lung expansion identifies genes likely to regulate development of the distal airways. Physiol. Genomics 24, 105–113.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Stiles, A. D. , Smith, B. T. , and Post, M. (1986). Reciprocal autocrine and paracrine regulation of growth of mesenchymal and alveolar epithelial cells from fetal lung. Exp. Lung Res. 11, 165–177.
PubMed |

Sylvester, K. G. , Rasanen, J. , Kitano, Y. , Flake, A. W. , Crombleholme, T. M. , and Adzick, N. S. (1998). Tracheal occlusion reverses the high impedance to flow in the fetal pulmonary circulation and normalizes its physiological response to oxygen at full term. J. Pediatr. Surg. 33, 1071–1074.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Torday, J. S. , and Kourembanas, S. (1990). Fetal rat lung fibroblasts produce a TGF-β homolog that blocks alveolar type II cell maturation. Dev. Biol. 139, 35–41.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Whitsett, J. A. , Weaver, T. E. , Lieberman, M. A. , Clark, J. C. , and Daugherty, C. (1987). Differential effects of epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor-β on synthesis of Mr = 35 000 surfactant-associated protein in fetal lung. J. Biol. Chem. 262, 7908–7913.
PubMed |

Yan, S. F. , Fujita, T. , Lu, J. , Okada, K. , Shan, Z. Y. , Mackman, N. , Pinsky, D. J. , and Stern, D. M. (2000). Egr-1, a master switch coordinating upregulation of divergent gene families underlying ischemic stress. Nat. Med. 6, 1355–1361.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Zhou, L. , Chitta, R. D. , Wert, S. E. , and Whitsett, J. A. (1996). Arrested lung morphogenesis in transgenic mice bearing an SP-C-TGF-β1 chimeric gene. Dev. Biol. 175, 227–238.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |