KA Veness-Meehan, DN Rhodes and AD Stiles
Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 27599-7596.

To assess the temporal and spatial expression of the matrix-associated proteoglycan, biglycan, in a model of chronic hyperoxia-induced lung injury, changes in mRNA and protein were examined using Northern blot analyses and immunohistochemistry. Newborn rats were exposed to 85% or 100% oxygen for 6 and 4 wk, respectively. Exposure to 85% oxygen for up to 6 wk resulted in a reduction in lung surface area and the development of focal areas of fibrosis. In contrast, exposure to 100% oxygen resulted in gross alterations in lung histology with greatly enlarged airspaces and septal thickening. Biglycan mRNA increased at 3 to 5 wk in control animals, then returned to baseline, while oxygen- exposed animals showed a further increase after 2 to 4 wk of exposure. Immunoreactive biglycan decreased with postnatal age but increased in alveolar cells of animals exposed to 100% oxygen for 4 wk and in alveolar cells and along alveolar septae of animals exposed to 85% oxygen for 6 wk. We speculate that biglycan binds growth factors such as transforming growth factor-beta near these cells, acting in an autoregulatory fashion to support epithelial cell proliferation and inhibit mesenchymal cell proliferation.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J.-Y. Hwang, P. Y. Johnson, K. R. Braun, A. Hinek, J. W. Fischer, K. D. O'Brien, B. Starcher, A. W. Clowes, M. J. Merrilees, and T. N. Wight Retrovirally Mediated Overexpression of Glycosaminoglycan-Deficient Biglycan in Arterial Smooth Muscle Cells Induces Tropoelastin Synthesis and Elastic Fiber Formation in Vitro and in Neointimae after Vascular Injury Am. J. Pathol., December 1, 2008; 173(6): 1919 - 1928. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Choo-Wing, J. H. Nedrelow, R. J. Homer, J. A. Elias, and V. Bhandari Developmental differences in the responses of IL-6 and IL-13 transgenic mice exposed to hyperoxia Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, July 1, 2007; 293(1): L142 - L150. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. A. Veness-Meehan, R. A. Pierce, B. M. Moats-Staats, and A. D. Stiles Retinoic acid attenuates O2-induced inhibition of lung septation Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, November 1, 2002; 283(5): L971 - L980. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Koslowski, U. Pfeil, H. Fehrenbach, M. Kasper, E. Skutelsky, and K-W. Wenzel Changes in xylosyltransferase activity and in proteoglycan deposition in bleomycin-induced lung injury in rat Eur. Respir. J., August 1, 2001; 18(2): 347 - 356. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Sames, Z. Halata, M. Jojovic, E. J. M. van Damme, W. J. Peumans, B. Delpech, B. Asmus, and U. Schumacher Lectin and Proteoglycan Histochemistry of Feline Pacinian Corpuscles J. Histochem. Cytochem., January 1, 2001; 49(1): 19 - 28. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				T. EBIHARA, N. VENKATESAN, R. TANAKA, and M. S. LUDWIG Changes in Extracellular Matrix and Tissue Viscoelasticity in Bleomycin-induced Lung Fibrosis . Temporal Aspects Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., October 1, 2000; 162(4): 1569 - 1576. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. VENKATESAN, T. EBIHARA, P. J. ROUGHLEY, and M. S. LUDWIG Alterations in Large and Small Proteoglycans in Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in Rats Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., June 1, 2000; 161(6): 2066 - 2073. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				M. Dolhnikoff, J. Morin, P. J. Roughley, and M. S. Ludwig Expression of Lumican in Human Lungs Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., October 1, 1998; 19(4): 582 - 587. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				H. Ungefroren and N. B. Krull Transcriptional Regulation of the Human Biglycan Gene J. Biol. Chem., June 28, 1996; 271(26): 15787 - 15795. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. Caniggia, J. Liu, M. Kuliszewski, A. K. Tanswell, and M. Post Fetal Lung Fibroblasts Selectively Down-regulate Proteoglycan Synthesis in Response to Elevated Oxygen J. Biol. Chem., March 22, 1996; 271(12): 6625 - 6630. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]