Astorga Cristian R, González-Candia Alejandro, Candia Alejandro A, Figueroa Esteban G, Cañas Daniel, Ebensperger Germán, Reyes Roberto V, Llanos Aníbal J, Herrera Emilio A
Laboratory of Vascular Function & Reactivity, Pathophysiology Program, ICBM, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Department for the Woman and Newborn Health Promotion, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Front Physiol. 2018 Mar 6;9:185. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00185. eCollection 2018.
Chronic hypoxia and oxidative stress during gestation lead to pulmonary hypertension of the neonate (PHN), a condition characterized by abnormal pulmonary arterial reactivity and remodeling. Melatonin has strong antioxidant properties and improves pulmonary vascular function. Here, we aimed to study the effects of melatonin on the function and structure of pulmonary arteries from PHN lambs. Twelve lambs () gestated and born at highlands (3,600 m) were instrumented with systemic and pulmonary catheters. Six of them were assigned to the control group (CN, oral vehicle) and 6 were treated with melatonin (MN, 1 mg.kg.d) during 10 days. At the end of treatment, we performed a graded oxygenation protocol to assess cardiopulmonary responses to inspired oxygen variations. Further, we obtained lung and pulmonary trunk samples for histology, molecular biology, and immunohistochemistry determinations. Melatonin reduced the pulmonary pressor response to oxygenation changes. In addition, melatonin decreased cellular density of the media and diminished the proliferation marker KI67 in resistance vessels and pulmonary trunk ( < 0.05). This was associated with a decreased in the remodeling markers α-actin (CN 1.28 ± 0.18 vs. MN 0.77 ± 0.04, < 0.05) and smoothelin-B (CN 2.13 ± 0.31 vs. MN 0.88 ± 0.27, < 0.05). Further, melatonin increased vascular density by 134% and vascular luminal surface by 173% ( < 0.05). Finally, melatonin decreased nitrotyrosine, an oxidative stress marker, in small pulmonary vessels (CN 5.12 ± 0.84 vs. MN 1.14 ± 0.34, < 0.05). Postnatal administration of melatonin blunts the cardiopulmonary response to hypoxia, reduces the pathological vascular remodeling, and increases angiogenesis in pulmonary hypertensive neonatal lambs.These effects improve the pulmonary vascular structure and function in the neonatal period under chronic hypoxia.
孕期慢性缺氧和氧化应激会导致新生儿肺动脉高压(PHN),这是一种以肺动脉反应性异常和重塑为特征的病症。褪黑素具有强大的抗氧化特性,并能改善肺血管功能。在此,我们旨在研究褪黑素对患PHN羔羊肺动脉功能和结构的影响。12只在高原地区(3600米)妊娠并出生的羔羊安装了全身和肺动脉导管。其中6只被分配到对照组(CN,口服赋形剂),6只在10天内接受褪黑素治疗(MN,1毫克·千克·天)。治疗结束时,我们进行了分级氧合方案,以评估心肺对吸入氧变化的反应。此外,我们获取了肺和肺动脉干样本用于组织学、分子生物学和免疫组织化学测定。褪黑素降低了对氧合变化的肺升压反应。此外,褪黑素降低了中膜的细胞密度,并减少了阻力血管和肺动脉干中增殖标志物KI67(P<0.05)。这与重塑标志物α-肌动蛋白(CN组1.28±0.18 vs. MN组0.77±0.04,P<0.05)和平滑肌肌动蛋白B(CN组2.13±0.31 vs. MN组0.88±0.27,P<0.05)的减少有关。此外,褪黑素使血管密度增加了134%,血管腔表面积增加了173%(P<0.05)。最后,褪黑素降低了小肺血管中氧化应激标志物硝基酪氨酸(CN组5.12±0.84 vs. MN组1.14±0.34,P<0.05)。产后给予褪黑素可减弱心肺对缺氧的反应,减少病理性血管重塑,并增加肺动脉高压新生羔羊的血管生成。这些作用改善了慢性缺氧新生儿期的肺血管结构和功能。