RGD Reference Report - Pulmonary hypertension in TNF-alpha-overexpressing mice is associated with decreased VEGF gene expression. - Rat Genome Database

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Pulmonary hypertension in TNF-alpha-overexpressing mice is associated with decreased VEGF gene expression.

Authors: Fujita, M  Mason, RJ  Cool, C  Shannon, JM  Hara, N  Fagan, KA 
Citation: Fujita M, etal., J Appl Physiol. 2002 Dec;93(6):2162-70. Epub 2002 Aug 9.
RGD ID: 4143422
Pubmed: PMID:12391106   (View Abstract at PubMed)
DOI: DOI:10.1152/japplphysiol.00083.2002   (Journal Full-text)

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) transgenic mice have previously been found to have characteristics consistent with emphysema and severe pulmonary hypertension. Lungs demonstrated alveolar enlargement as well as interstitial thickening due to chronic inflammation and perivascular fibrosis. In the present report, we sought to determine potential mechanisms leading to development of pulmonary hypertension in TNF-alpha transgenic mice. To determine whether sustained vasoconstriction was an important component of this pulmonary hypertension, nitric oxide was administered and hemodynamics were measured. Nitric oxide (25 ppm) failed to normalize right ventricular pressure in transgene-positive mice, suggesting that the pulmonary hypertension was not due to sustained vasoconstriction. Structural analysis of the pulmonary arteries found adventitial thickening and a trend toward medial hypertrophy in pulmonary arteries of transgene-positive mice, suggesting that vascular remodeling had occurred. Echocardiographic measurement of the percent fractional shortening of the left ventricle as a measurement of ventricular function in vivo revealed that left ventricular dysfunction was not contributing to pulmonary hypertension. We examined expression of genes known to be important in regulation of vascular tone and structure. Messenger RNA expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptor flk-1 was reduced compared with transgene-negative littermates at all ages. Endothelial and inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA levels were similar in both groups. Endothelin-1 mRNA was also decreased in TNF-alpha transgenic mice. Interestingly, female transgenic mice had decreased survival rate compared with male transgenic mice. We conclude that chronic overexpression of TNF-alpha is associated with decreased vascular endothelial growth factor and flk-1 gene expression, pulmonary vascular remodeling, and severe pulmonary hypertension, although the precise mechanism is unknown.

RGD Manual Disease Annotations    Click to see Annotation Detail View
TermQualifierEvidenceWithReferenceNotesSourceOriginal Reference(s)
pulmonary hypertension  ISOTnf (Mus musculus)4143422; 4143422 RGD 
pulmonary hypertension  IMP 4143422 RGD 

Objects Annotated

Genes (Rattus norvegicus)
Tnf  (tumor necrosis factor)

Genes (Mus musculus)
Tnf  (tumor necrosis factor)

Genes (Homo sapiens)
TNF  (tumor necrosis factor)


Additional Information