Regulation of ventilatory sensitivity and carotid body proliferation in hypoxia by the PHD2/HIF-2 pathway.

Ventilatory sensitivity to hypoxia increases in response to continued hypoxic exposure as part of acute acclimatisation. Although this process is incompletely understood, insights have been gained through studies of the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) hydroxylase system. Genetic studies implicate these pathways widely in the integrated physiology of hypoxia, through effects on developmental or adaptive processes. In keeping with this, mice that are heterozygous for the principal HIF prolyl hydroxylase, PHD2, show enhanced ventilatory sensitivity to hypoxia and carotid body hyperplasia. Here we have sought to understand this process better through comparative analysis of inducible and constitutive inactivation of PHD2 and its principal targets HIF-1α and HIF-2α. We demonstrate that general inducible inactivation of PHD2 in tamoxifen-treated Phd2(f/f);Rosa26(+/CreERT2) mice, like constitutive, heterozygous PHD2 deficiency, enhances hypoxic ventilatory responses (HVRs: 7.2 ± 0.6 vs. 4.4 ± 0.4 ml min(-1) g(-1) in controls, P < 0.01). The ventilatory phenotypes associated with both inducible and constitutive inactivation of PHD2 were strongly compensated for by concomitant inactivation of HIF-2α, but not HIF-1α. Furthermore, inducible inactivation of HIF-2α strikingly impaired ventilatory acclimatisation to chronic hypoxia (HVRs: 4.1 ± 0.5 vs. 8.6 ± 0.5 ml min(-1) g(-1) in controls, P < 0.0001), as well as carotid body cell proliferation (400 ± 81 vs. 2630 ± 390 bromodeoxyuridine-positive cells mm(-2) in controls, P < 0.0001). The findings demonstrate the importance of the PHD2/HIF-2α enzyme-substrate couple in modulating ventilatory sensitivity to hypoxia.

Carotid body hyperplasia and enhanced ventilatory responses to hypoxia in mice with heterozygous deficiency of PHD2.

Oxygen-dependent prolyl hydroxylation of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) by a set of closely related prolyl hydroxylase domain enzymes (PHD1, 2 and 3) regulates a range of transcriptional responses to hypoxia. This raises important questions about the role of these oxygen-sensing enzymes in integrative physiology. We investigated the effect of both genetic deficiency and pharmacological inhibition on the change in ventilation in response to acute hypoxic stimulation in mice. Mice exposed to chronic hypoxia for 7 days manifest an exaggerated hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR) (10.8 ± 0.3 versus 4.1 ± 0.7 ml min(-1) g(-1) in controls; P < 0.01). HVR was similarly exaggerated in PHD2(+/-) animals compared to littermate controls (8.4 ± 0.7 versus 5.0 ± 0.8 ml min(-1) g(-1); P < 0.01). Carotid body volume increased (0.0025 ± 0.00017 in PHD2(+/-) animals versus 0.0015 ± 0.00019 mm(3) in controls; P < 0.01). In contrast, HVR in PHD1(-/-) and PHD3(-/-) mice was similar to littermate controls. Acute exposure to a small molecule PHD inhibitor (PHI) (2-(1-chloro-4-hydroxyisoquinoline-3-carboxamido) acetic acid) did not mimic the ventilatory response to hypoxia. Further, 7 day administration of the PHI induced only modest increases in HVR and carotid body cell proliferation, despite marked stimulation of erythropoiesis. This was in contrast with chronic hypoxia, which elicited both exaggerated HVR and cellular proliferation. The findings demonstrate that PHD enzymes modulate ventilatory sensitivity to hypoxia and identify PHD2 as the most important enzyme in this response. They also reveal differences between genetic inactivation of PHDs, responses to hypoxia and responses to a pharmacological inhibitor, demonstrating the need for caution in predicting the effects of therapeutic modulation of the HIF hydroxylase system on different physiological responses.

Abnormal sympathoadrenal development and systemic hypotension in PHD3-/- mice.

Cell culture studies have implicated the oxygen-sensitive hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) prolyl hydroxylase PHD3 in the regulation of neuronal apoptosis. To better understand this function in vivo, we have created PHD3(-/-) mice and analyzed the neuronal phenotype. Reduced apoptosis in superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurons cultured from PHD3(-/-) mice is associated with an increase in the number of cells in the SCG, as well as in the adrenal medulla and carotid body. Genetic analysis by intercrossing PHD3(-/-) mice with HIF-1a(+/-) and HIF-2a(+/-) mice demonstrated an interaction with HIF-2alpha but not HIF-1alpha, supporting the nonredundant involvement of a PHD3-HIF-2alpha pathway in the regulation of sympathoadrenal development. Despite the increased number of cells, the sympathoadrenal system appeared hypofunctional in PHD3(-/-) mice, with reduced target tissue innervation, adrenal medullary secretory capacity, sympathoadrenal responses, and systemic blood pressure. These observations suggest that the role of PHD3 in sympathoadrenal development extends beyond simple control of cell survival and organ mass, with functional PHD3 being required for proper anatomical and physiological integrity of the system. Perturbation of this interface between developmental and adaptive signaling by hypoxic, metabolic, or other stresses could have important effects on key sympathoadrenal functions, such as blood pressure regulation.