Project description:Respiratory distress is one of the major causes of the high mortality rate in neonatal cloned animals. Although some therapeutic methods have been used to improve the survival of cloned neonatal animals, the mechanisms of their neonatal respiratory distress lacked thorough investigation. Pathological analyses including necropsy and histology were implemented to determine the precise disease phenotypes, by which not fully dilated lungs, alveolar collapse and thickened alveolar walls were detected in neonatal cloned cows dying of respiratory distress compared to naturally conceived neonatal cows. In addition, we compared mRNA expression profiles between the two groups and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) have been achieved. Based on DEGs, GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were performed, which showed that processes and pathways associated with surfactant homeostasis were significantly enriched between the two groups (p < 0.05).
Project description:In this study, We proposed a reprogramming-derived bovine model of NRDS based on typical phenotypes of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) and high reproducibility and replication rates as well as a steerable background of neonatal cloned cows suffering from NRDS. With the aid of miRNA sequencing, construction of the miRNA–gene network and functional enrichment of target genes, the effects of specific miRNAs on lung development and surfactant homeostasis were determined in this model. We identified 12 miRNAs targeting SFTPB, SFTPC and NKX2-1 genes, demonstrated repression effects of three miRNAs on NKX2-1 and SFTPC expression in vivo and through which miRNAs disturbed lung development and surfactant homeostasis in the NRDS bovine model.
Project description:Pulmonary surfactant (PS) produced by alveolar type II (ATII) cells is necessary in maintaining normal lung function, and a decrease or change in composition of PS is the main cause of alveolar collapse in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). But the mechanism of decrease or com-position change of PS is still unknown.
Project description:Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is estimated to impact between 0.4% and 5% of pregnancies worldwide. This disease is associated with elevated maternal bile acids and frequently untoward neonatal outcomes such as respiratory distress and asphyxia. Multiple candidate genes have been implicated, but none have provided insight into the mechanisms of neonatal respiratory distress and death. Herein our studies demonstrate that maternal cholestasis (due to Abcb11 deficiency) produces 100% neonatal death within 24h due to atelectasis producing pulmonary hypoxia, which recapitulates the respiratory distress and asphyxia of human ICP. We show that these neonates have elevated pulmonary bile acids that are associated with disrupted structure of pulmonary surfactant. Maternal absence of Nr1i2 superimposed upon Abcb11 deficiency strongly increased neonatal survival and is directly related to reduced maternal bile acid concentrations. The mechanism accounting for reduced serum bile acids in the mothers deficient in both Nr1i2 and Abcb11 appears related to disrupted reabsorption of intestinal bile acids due to changes in transporter expression. These findings provide novel insights into pulmonary failure by revealing bile acids capability to disrupt the structure of surfactant producing collapsed alveoli, pulmonary failure and ultimately death. These findings have important implications for neonatal health especially when maternal bile acids are elevated during pregnancy and highlight a potential pathway and targets amenable to therapeutic intervention to ameliorate this condition.
Project description:Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is estimated to impact between 0.4% and 5% of pregnancies worldwide. This disease is associated with elevated maternal bile acids and frequently untoward neonatal outcomes such as respiratory distress and asphyxia. Multiple candidate genes have been implicated, but none have provided insight into the mechanisms of neonatal respiratory distress and death. Herein our studies demonstrate that maternal cholestasis (due to Abcb11 deficiency) produces 100% neonatal death within 24h due to atelectasis producing pulmonary hypoxia, which recapitulates the respiratory distress and asphyxia of human ICP. We show that these neonates have elevated pulmonary bile acids that are associated with disrupted structure of pulmonary surfactant. Maternal absence of Nr1i2 superimposed upon Abcb11 deficiency strongly increased neonatal survival and is directly related to reduced maternal bile acid concentrations. The mechanism accounting for reduced serum bile acids in the mothers deficient in both Nr1i2 and Abcb11 appears related to disrupted reabsorption of intestinal bile acids due to changes in transporter expression. These findings provide novel insights into pulmonary failure by revealing bile acids capability to disrupt the structure of surfactant producing collapsed alveoli, pulmonary failure and ultimately death. These findings have important implications for neonatal health especially when maternal bile acids are elevated during pregnancy and highlight a potential pathway and targets amenable to therapeutic intervention to ameliorate this condition. We used microarrays to measure changes in gene expression profiles in lung tissues from Abcb11+/- lungs after interbreeding C57BL/6 wild-type female or C57BL/6 Abcb11-/- female mice against either C57BL/6 wild-type male mice or C57BL/6 Abcb11-/- male mice to create only heterozygote offspring. We also measured profiles in liver tissues from age-matched C57BL/6 wild-type and C57BL/6 Abcb11-/- mice. Lung tissues were collected from day E17.5, E18.5 and neonatal (N0) mice. Liver tissues were collected from 1.5-month-old C57BL/6 wildtype and Abcb11-/- mice.
Project description:Sash1 acts as a scaffold in TLR4 signaling. We generated Sash1-/- mice, which die in the perinatal period due to respiratory distress. Constitutive or endothelial-restricted Sash1 loss leads to a reduction of surfactant-associated protein synthesis. We show that Sash1 interacts with β-arrestin 1 downstream of the TLR4 pathway to activate Akt and eNOS in microvascular endothelial cells. Generation of nitric oxide downstream of Sash1 in endothelial cells activated cGMP in adjacent alveolar type 2 cells to induce transcription of surfactant genes. Thus we identify a critical cell nonautonomous function for Sash1 in embryonic development in which endothelial Sash1 affects alveolar type 2 cells and promotes pulmonary surfactant production through nitric oxide signaling. Lack of pulmonary surfactant is a major cause of respiratory distress and mortality in preterm infants, and these findings identify the endothelium as a potential target for therapy.
Project description:Surfactant deficiency, diffuse alveolar damage and respiratory failure caused by loss of Abca3 in AT2 cells was followed by remarkable proliferation of alveolar cells and selective survival of ABCA3 sufficient cells resulting in regeneration of alveolar structure and function, providing the conceptual framework for the development of therapies to ameliorate lung diseases caused by mutations in ABCA3 and other genes critical for AT2 cell function or surfactant homeostasis.
Project description:To understand the molecular mechanisms of human lung macrophage development, function, and role in BPD pathogenesis, we conducted a clinical study using isolated tracheal aspirate macrophages from intubated preterm infants born before 30 wk gestation. One hundred twenty-eight patients intubated for respiratory distress syndrome and surfactant administration were consented for the study.
Project description:The amount of pulmonary surfactant within type II cells and in the alveolar space, referred to as surfactant pool sizes, are tightly regulated. The molecular pathways that sense and regulate surfactant pool size within the alveolus have not been identified and constitute a fundamental knowledge gap in the field. Our data show that mice with a germline mutation in the orphan G-protein-coupled receptor, GPR116, have a 30-fold accumulation of surfactant phospholipids that causes respiratory distress in adult animals. This phenotype is associated with increased surfactant secretion and induction of the purinergic receptor P2RY2 in young animals, and lipid-laden macrophages and alveolar destruction in older animals. We further demonstrate that GPR116 mRNA expression is developmentally regulated in the murine lung with peak expression at birth when surfactant pool sizes are maximal. Within the lung, GPR116 protein expression is restricted to the apical plasma membrane of alveolar type I and type II epithelial cells.
Project description:The amount of pulmonary surfactant within type II cells and in the alveolar space, referred to as surfactant pool sizes, are tightly regulated. The molecular pathways that sense and regulate surfactant pool size within the alveolus have not been identified and constitute a fundamental knowledge gap in the field. Our data show that mice with a germline mutation in the orphan G-protein-coupled receptor, GPR116, have a 30-fold accumulation of surfactant phospholipids that causes respiratory distress in adult animals. This phenotype is associated with increased surfactant secretion and induction of the purinergic receptor P2RY2 in young animals, and lipid-laden macrophages and alveolar destruction in older animals. We further demonstrate that GPR116 mRNA expression is developmentally regulated in the murine lung with peak expression at birth when surfactant pool sizes are maximal. Within the lung, GPR116 protein expression is restricted to the apical plasma membrane of alveolar type I and type II epithelial cells. To better understand the roles and molecular mechanisms by which Gpr116 influences gene expression in lung, the effect of cell-selective deletion of Gpr116 (Gpr116D/D) on genome-wide mRNA expression profiles was determined in murine type II alveolar epithelial cells. Differentially expressed genes were identified from Affymetrix Murine GeneChips analysis and subjected to gene ontology classification promoter analysis, pathway mapping and literature mining.