Inhibitory effect of heparin on hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension and changes of vascular endothelial growth factor 1 in rats / 中国病理生理杂志

ABSTRACT

AIM: To observe the protein expression of vascular endothelial growth factor 1 (VEGF-1) in pulmonary arterial endothelial cells and VEGF-1 gene expression in lung tissue in rats with hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension and treated with heparin. METHODS: Twenty four male adult SD rats were randomly divided into three groups (8 rats each) a control group (group A), a group with hypoxia for 4 weeks (group B) and a group with hypoxia for 4 weeks and injected with heparin to abdominal cavity simultaneously (group C). Mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP), right ventricle hypertrophy index (RVHI) and vessel morphometry were measured. The morphology of pulmonary artery was observed by HE staining. The expression of VEGF-1 protein in pulmonary arterial endothelial cells was determined by immunohistochemistry. The level of VEGF-1 mRNA in lung tissue was measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: mPAP, RVHI, pulmonary artery remodeling parameters, VEGF-1 protein expression in pulmonary arterial endothelial cells and VEGF-1 gene expression in lung tissue of the three groups from high to low were group B, group C and group A. It was statistically significant when compared between either two groups of the three (P<0.01). Linear correlation analysis showed that VEGF-1 protein was positively correlated with pulmonary artery remodeling parameters (r=0.974, P<0.01), and VEGF-1 mRNA was positively correlated with VEGF-1 protein (VEGF 120 mRNA, r=0.919, P<0.01; VEGF164 mRNA, r=0.896, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Heparin may down-regulate the expression of VEGF-1 at the levels of transcription and translation, resulting in the inhibitory effect on rats with hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension.