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PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
3
pubmed:dateCreated
2002-3-15
pubmed:abstractText
The establishment of a sufficiently wide and functional blood-gas interface is of critical importance in lung development, but development of the intrapulmonary vascular system including alveolar capillary vessels still remains unclear. In this study, we first characterized the structural development of the vascular system in accordance with that of airways in human fetal lungs at the pseudoglandular phase (8, 13, and 16 weeks gestation) by examining the immunohistochemical distribution of CD34 and alpha-smooth muscle actin (SMA). Using double immunohistochemistry and 3-dimensional reconstruction techniques, endothelial cells in the developing lung could be classified into two different types according to the characteristics of their adjacent cells (presence or absence of SMA-positive cells) and their distribution (proximal or distal lung parenchyme). Endothelial cells without SMA-positive cells developed into a capillary network surrounding the budding components of distal airways during the mid-pseudoglandular phase before communicating with proximal vessels. We then examined the immunoreactivity of thrombomodulin and von Willebrand factor (vWF) in endothelial cells. Endothelial cells of the capillary network were mainly positive for vWF during the early gestational stages, but altered their phenotypes to those of mature lungs (vWF negative and thrombomodulin positive) during the terminal sac phase. We subsequently determined the immunohistochemical distribution of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Epithelial cells of the most distal airways were intensely positive for VEGF. These results suggest that VEGF present in airway epithelial cells is involved in the maturation as well as proliferation of capillary endothelial cells. Epithelial-endothelial interactions during lung development are considered very important in the establishment of the functional blood-gas interface.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Mar
pubmed:issn
0023-6837
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
82
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
293-301
pubmed:dateRevised
2004-11-17
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2002
pubmed:articleTitle
Analysis of intrapulmonary vessels and epithelial-endothelial interactions in the human developing lung.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan. sumiko@idac.tohoku.ac.jp
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article