All issues > Volume 46(2); 2003

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 2003;46(2):167-172. Published online February 15, 2003.

Hypoxia Induced Expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Rat Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells

Un Seok US Nho¹, Yeo Hyang YH Kim², Myung Chul MC Hyun², Sang Bum SB Lee²

¹Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Daegu, Korea
²Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea

Correspondence Sang Bum SB Lee ,Email: leesb@knu.ac.kr

Abstract

5% CO2-95% air atmosphere. The smooth muscle cells were confirmed by immunostaining with smooth muscle myosin and α-smooth muscle actin antibodies. The VEGF gene expression in the hypoxic group was compared with the one in control the group as well as the one in the starved group by RT-PCR and Northern blot hybridization.
Results
: There was no statistically significant difference among the control, hypoxic and starved groups.
Conclusion
: There are few studies of pulmonary vascular hypertension at the molecular level in Korea. Therefore, we studied the expression of VEGF gene in hypoxic pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cells. Further studies will be needed to find the difference between newly born and adult rats, or human and rat pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cells in gene expression. We hope that the study will lead to a better understanding of pulmonary vascular hypertension.

Keywords :Hypoxia, Vascular endothelial growth factor, Pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells, RT-PCR, Northern blot hybridization