Mechanotransduction in the Lung: Cyclic mechanical stretch induces VEGF and FGF-2 expression in pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cells

• Published in: American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology 2002-05, Vol.282 (5), p.897
• Main Authors: Quinn, Timothy P, Schlueter, Marielle, Soifer, Scott J, Gutierrez, Jorge A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1040-0605; 1522-1504
• DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00044.2001

Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143 Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic (b) fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2/bFGF) are involved in vascular development and angiogenesis. Pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells express VEGF and FGF-2 and are subjected to mechanical forces during pulsatile blood flow. The effect of stretch on growth factor expression in these cells is not well characterized. We investigated the effect of cyclic stretch on the expression of VEGF and FGF-2 in ovine pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells. Primary confluent cells from 6-wk-old lambs were cultured on flexible silicon membranes and subjected to cyclic biaxial stretch (1 Hz; 5-25% stretch; 4-48 h). Nonstretched cells served as controls. Expression of VEGF and FGF-2 was determined by Northern blot analysis. Cyclic stretch induced expression of both VEGF and FGF-2 mRNA in a time- and amplitude-dependent manner. Maximum expression was found at 24 h and 15% stretch (VEGF: 1.8-fold; FGF-2: 1.9-fold). These results demonstrate that mechanical stretch regulates VEGF and FGF-2 gene expression, which could play a role in pulmonary vascular development or in postnatal pulmonary artery function or disease. vascular endothelial growth factor; basic fibroblast growth factor; gene expression; mechanical stretch; pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells