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Pulmonary hypertension alters soluble guanylate cyclase activity and expression in pulmonary arteries isolated from fetal lambs
Author(s) -
Tzao Ching,
Nickerson Peter A.,
Russell James A.,
Gugino Sylvia F.,
Steinhorn Robin H.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
pediatric pulmonology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.866
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1099-0496
pISSN - 8755-6863
DOI - 10.1002/1099-0496(200102)31:2<97::aid-ppul1016>3.0.co;2-k
Subject(s) - medicine , endocrinology , cyclic guanosine monophosphate , fetus , nitric oxide , pulmonary hypertension , pulmonary artery , gucy1a3 , gucy1b3 , ductus arteriosus , vasodilation , cardiology , guanylate cyclase 2c , biology , guanylate cyclase , pregnancy , genetics
The nitric oxide (NO)‐guanosine 3′,5′‐cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) signaling pathway plays an important role in the pulmonary vascular transition at birth. We studied pulmonary arteries and veins isolated from normal late‐gestation fetal lambs and from fetal lambs with persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN) following prenatal ligation of the ductus arteriosus. We additionally used double immunolabeling and immunoblot analysis to determine relative vascular contents of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS‐III) and soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC). Cyclic GMP content and sGC activity were significantly lower in arteries from hypertensive lambs than controls. A rank order for contents of both soluble guanylate cyclase and NOS‐III was observed by both immunolabeling and immunoblotting: Control vein = Hypertensive vein > Control artery > Hypertensive artery. Our data demonstrate that the relative expression of sGC correlates well with the relative expression of NOS‐III, and indicate the potential importance of soluble guanylate cyclase in the regulation of the perinatal pulmonary circulation. These data may help us understand vascular mechanisms producing PPHN, as well as patterns of response to exogenous NO. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2001; 31:97–105. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.