Pathophysiological changes of pulmonary artery, hemodynamic, plasma ET-1 levels, and ET-1 mRNA expression of the lung in a hypoxia-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension model.

<p>WT and HEX-Tg (Tg) mice were placed in normoxic or hypoxic conditions for 10 weeks. (A) Pulmonary vascular remodeling in WT and HEX-Tg mice exposed to chronic hypoxia. Representative photographs of Elastica Van Gieson stains of the lung sections of WT and HEX-Tg mice under normoxic and hypoxic conditions are shown (from 10 mice in each condition and genotype). Br, bronchiole. Arrow, pulmonary artery. (B) Right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) in WT and HEX-Tg mice exposed to chronic hypoxia. (C) Plasma ET-1 levels in WT and HEX-Tg mice exposed to chronic hypoxia. (D) mRNA expression levels of ET-1 in the whole lung extracts. Total RNA was extracted from lung tissues in each condition (genotype and oxygen concentration), and expression levels of mRNA of ET-1 were assessed in qRT-PCR analysis. Results were normalized to GAPDH mRNA levels and are shown as relative mRNA expression levels in the WT mice placed in normoxic condition. Error bars represent SD (n = 10). *P<0.05.