This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 200406-698OCv1 171/1/19    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Törmänen, K. R. Articles by Erjefält, J. S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Törmänen, K. R. Articles by Erjefält, J. S.

Allergen Exposure of Mouse Airways Evokes Remodeling of both Bronchi and Large Pulmonary Vessels

Department of Physiological Sciences and Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden

Correspondence and requests for reprints should be addressed to Kristina Rydell Törmänen, M.Sc., Department of Physiological Sciences, BMC F10, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden. E-mail: kristina.rydell{at}mphy.lu.se

Remodeling of airway structures is a well-documented feature of allergic airway inflammation. To investigate whether bronchial remodeling is associated with remodeling of adjacent pulmonary vessels, sensitized mice were subjected to repeated ovalbumin inhalations, and bronchi and pulmonary vessels were subjected to histologic analysis. Allergen challenges induced peribronchial as well as perivascular eosinophilia. Remodeling of systemic airway microcirculation, as studied in tracheal whole-mount preparations, revealed an allergen-induced increase in both the diameter and length of the airway microvessels. Immunostaining for -smooth muscle actin disclosed an increase in smooth muscle mass in both bronchi and large pulmonary vessels. Both bronchi and pulmonary vessels also displayed increased expression of procollagen I and procollagen III. Staining for proliferating cell nuclear antigen revealed increased proliferation of bronchial epithelial and smooth muscle cells as well as pulmonary vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells. We conclude that central features of remodeling that take place in allergen-exposed airways are present also in the pulmonary vessels. The significance of this finding with respect to occurrence in disease, pathophysiologic importance, and involved mechanisms warrants further investigation.

Key Words: animal model • asthma • eosinophils • vascular remodeling

This article has been cited by other articles:

				T. Okazaki, A. Ni, P. Baluk, O. A. Ayeni, J. Kearley, A. J. Coyle, A. Humbles, and D. M. McDonald Capillary Defects and Exaggerated Inflammatory Response in the Airways of EphA2-Deficient Mice Am. J. Pathol., June 1, 2009; 174(6): 2388 - 2399. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. K. Bentley, H. Deng, M. J. Linn, J. Lei, G. A. Dokshin, D. C. Fingar, K. N. Bitar, W. R. Henderson Jr., and M. B. Hershenson Airway smooth muscle hyperplasia and hypertrophy correlate with glycogen synthase kinase-3{beta} phosphorylation in a mouse model of asthma Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, February 1, 2009; 296(2): L176 - L184. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. P. Vieira, V. F. de Andrade, A. C. S. Duarte, A. B. G. dos Santos, T. Mauad, M. A. Martins, M. Dolhnikoff, and C. R. F. Carvalho Aerobic conditioning and allergic pulmonary inflammation in mice. II. Effects on lung vascular and parenchymal inflammation and remodeling Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, October 1, 2008; 295(4): L670 - L679. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Rydell-Tormanen, J. R. Johnson, R. Fattouh, M. Jordana, and J. S. Erjefalt Induction of Vascular Remodeling in the Lung by Chronic House Dust Mite Exposure Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., July 1, 2008; 39(1): 61 - 67. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. M. Arantes-Costa, F. D.T.Q.S. Lopes, A. C. Toledo, P. A. Magliarelli-Filho, H. T. Moriya, R. Carvalho-Oliveira, T. Mauad, P. H. N. Saldiva, and M. A. Martins Effects of Residual Oil Fly Ash (ROFA) in Mice with Chronic Allergic Pulmonary Inflammation Toxicol Pathol, July 1, 2008; 36(5): 680 - 686. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Daley, C. Emson, C. Guignabert, R. de Waal Malefyt, J. Louten, V. P. Kurup, C. Hogaboam, L. Taraseviciene-Stewart, N. F. Voelkel, M. Rabinovitch, et al. Pulmonary arterial remodeling induced by a Th2 immune response J. Exp. Med., February 18, 2008; 205(2): 361 - 372. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Tigani, C. Cannet, H. Karmouty-Quintana, F.-X. Ble, S. Zurbruegg, E. Schaeublin, J. R. Fozard, and N. Beckmann Lung inflammation and vascular remodeling after repeated allergen challenge detected noninvasively by MRI Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, March 1, 2007; 292(3): L644 - L653. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. D. Shapiro Animal Models of Asthma: Pro: Allergic Avoidance of Animal (Model[s]) Is Not an Option Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., December 1, 2006; 174(11): 1171 - 1173. [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Wenzel and S. T. Holgate The Mouse Trap: It Still Yields Few Answers in Asthma Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., December 1, 2006; 174(11): 1173 - 1176. [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Witzenrath, B. Ahrens, S. M. Kube, A. C. Hocke, S. Rosseau, E. Hamelmann, N. Suttorp, and H. Schutte Allergic lung inflammation induces pulmonary vascular hyperresponsiveness Eur. Respir. J., August 1, 2006; 28(2): 370 - 377. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]