ABSTRACT
<p><b>AIM</b>To study the effect and significances of two-week hypoxia on the expression of intermedin/adrenomedullin2 (IMD/ADM2) in plasma and the tissues of heart and lung in rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty male SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group and hypoxia group. The concentrations of IMD/ADM2 and adrenomedullin (ADM) in plasma, right ventricle and lung tissue were measured by radioimmunoassay. RT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA levels of IMD/ADM2 and ADM in right ventricle and lung tissue.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) The mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) and the weight ratio of right ventricle (RV) to left ventricle plus septum (LV + S) of hypoxia group were significantly higher than those of normal control group (P < 0.01). (2) The concentrations of IMD/ADM2 and ADM in plasma were significantly higher in hypoxia group, compared with normal control group (P < 0.01). (3) The concentration of ADM in right ventricle and lung tissue in hypoxia group was significantly higher than that in normal control group (P < 0.01), while there was no significant difference in IMD/ADM2 between the two groups. (4) The mRNA levels of IMD/ADM2 and ADM in right ventricle and lung tissues were significantly up-regulated in hypoxia group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The expressions of IMD/ADM2 peptides and gene in plasma, right ventricular and pulmonary tissues are different in the early-middle pathological proceeding of pulmonary hypertension induced by two-week hypoxia in rats.</p>