Changes of Rho Kinase in Pulmonary Hypertension Mice Induced by Chronic Hypoxic-hypercapnia

Abstract: Pulmonary hypertension induced by chronic hypoxic-hypercapnia is a serious threat to people’s health in China， but its aetiology is still not clear. To investigate the effects of Rho kinases (ROCK1， ROCK2) in pulmonary hypertension mice induced by chronic hypoxic-hypercapnia， changes in the normal control group (NC) and the chronic hypoxia-hypercapnia group (HH) were observed. The right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVHI)， vessel wall thickness/total vascular diameter (WT%) and vessel wall area/total vascular area (WA%) of both groups were measured. The expression of ROCK1 mRNA and ROCK2 mRNA was determined by RT-PCR. The expression of ROCK1 protein and the phospho-myosin phosphatase target subunit 1 (p-MYPT1) was tested by Western blot. The position of ROCK1 protein was located by immunohistochemistry. The results showed that the HH group had increased RVHI， WT% and WA% (P<0.01)， increased ROCK1 and ROCK2 mRNA expression (ROCK1 P<0.01， ROCK2 P<0.05)， increased ROCK1 and p-MYPT1 protien expression level (P<0.01). ROCK1 protein expressed mainly in pulmonary artery， alveolar and bronchus. All the results suggested that the increased expression of Rho kinase may be associated with the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension induced by chronic hypoxia-hypercapnia in mice.

CSTR: 32200.14.cjcb.2013.03.0006