高氧对新生大鼠肺caspase-3和p53基因表达及肺细胞凋亡的影响

Apoptosis in neonatal rat lung exposed to hyperoxia

目的探讨高氧对新生大鼠肺caspase3和p53基因表达及肺细胞凋亡的影响。方法采用SpraqueDawley新生大鼠95%氧气暴露建立高氧肺损伤模型。应用RTPCR技术检测肺组织caspase3mRNA和p53mRNA水平,凝胶电泳条带用成像系统照相分析结果。计算目的基因PCR产物条带与内参照βactin条带光密度值的比值,作为p53基因的相对表达量,结果以x±s标记,而caspase3mRNA表达量则以阳性表达或阴性表达为标记。应用脱氧核糖核酸转移酶介导的细胞凋亡标记技术(TUNEL)原位检测细胞凋亡。光镜下随机计算5个视野中500个肺细胞中的阳性细胞数,结果以x±s标记。结果新生大鼠暴露于95%氧浓度环境中24h后肺组织中p53mRNA表达中度增加(q=3.2305,P>0.05),48h后表达显著增加,与空气对照组相比差异有统计学意义(q=7.2941,P<0.05)。新生鼠高氧处理72h、96h后,肺组织p53mRNA表达又恢复到正常水平。在各空气对照组和各高氧处理组中个别新生鼠肺的caspase3mRNA有微量表达,绝大多数新生鼠肺的caspase3mRNA没有表达,差异无统计学意义。95%氧暴露7天的新生鼠肺细胞凋亡水平明显高于空气暴露组新生鼠肺细胞凋亡水平,两者比较差异有极显著的统计学意义(F=100,P<0.001)。结论在高浓度供氧下,肺组织通过暂时上调p53基因的表达,介导细胞周期停滞,阻止G0/G1期细胞进入S期,抑制细胞分裂、增殖,同时p53促进细胞凋亡,从而导致肺生长发育受阻和肺损伤。新生鼠暴露于95%氧环境中,肺组织caspase3基因基本上不表达,因此推测高氧肺细胞凋亡可能存在不经过caspase3的凋亡途径。

Objective Exposure to high concentrations of oxygen in the neonatal period may impair lung growth and is a major contributing factor to the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia （ BPD ）.Cell death from hyperoxic injury may occur through either an apoptotic or nonapoptotic pathway. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of hyperoxia on caspase-3 and p53 gene expression and apoptosis in the lungs of neonatal rats, so as to determine the type of cell death that occurs in the lungs of neonatal rats exposed to hyperoxia. Methods Hyperoxic lung injury model was established by exposing to 95% O2 in the neonatal period of Spraque-Dawley rats. The levels of caspase-3 mRNA and p53 mRNA expression in the lungs of neonatal rats exposed to 95% hyperoxia or room air were detected by RT-PCR. To quantify PCR products, PCR products were electrophoretically separated with 1.5% agarose gels. The optical density （A） values of the DNA bands were quantified by complete gel documentation and analysis system. The A ratios of p53/β-actin denoted the relative content of p53 mRNA, results were showed as mean ± standard deviation. The specific positive or negative bands of caspase-3 in electrophoresis gels were counted, Fisher＇s exact test of propabilities was used to determined statistically significant differences between two groups. We determined the extent of apoptosis taking place in the lungs of neonatal rats exposed to 95% hyperoxia using terminal deoxyribonucleotide transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-fluorescence nick-end labeling （TUNEL） in 7-d-old neonatal lung. Under light microscope, five areas of lung parenchyma were systematically and randomly photographed from each animal and positive cells among 500 lung cells were calculated. Results were showed as mean ± standard deviation. Results We found increased levels of p53 messenger RNA, a gene associated with apoptosis, in the lungs of neonatal rat born and raised in 95% hyperoxia. Moderate increase in the level of p53 mRNA was found in the hyperoxic-treated group at 24 h （q = 3. 2305, P 〉 0. 05 ）. Significant increase in the level of p53 mRNA was found in the hyperoxic-treated group at 48 h （ q = 7. 2941, P 〈 0. 01 ）. The levels of p53 mRNA expression in neonatal rat lungs exposed to 95% 02 for 72 h or 96 h returned to normal level. The levels of caspase-3 mRNA expression were very low or absent in the hyperoxic-treated groups at 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h and 96h or in the air-breathing groups at 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h and 96 h. An increase in the number of cells undergoing apoptosis was found in the hyperoxic-treated group at 7 d （F =56. 5010, P 〈0. 001 ） which was significantly greater than the number of apoptotic cells found in the lungs of rats of the same age exposed to room air. Conclusion Our results suggested that 95% hyperoxia could temporarily up-regulate the gene expression of p53, which induced the transcription of p21^WAF/CIPI mRNA. Furthermore, p21^WAF/CIPI could lead to cell cycle arrest and inhibit proliferation of lung cells. Meanwhile, p53 could also promote apoptosis of lung cells. Therefore, exposure to high concentrations of oxygen in the neonatal period may impair lung growth and is a major contributing factor to the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia （ BPD ）, and hyperoxia may affect the future lung growth and lead to barrier of lung development. The treatments of antiapoptosis and promoting alveoli growth hold a promising perspective in hyperoxic lung injury. The level and ratio of caspase-3 gene expression were very low or absent in the lungs of neonatal rats exposed to 95% O2 or room air. We speculated that caspase-3 gene expression was not essential in the hyperoxia induced lung cell apoptosis in neonatal rats.