%0 Journal Article %A Laszlo Farkas %A Daniela Farkas %A Donatas Kraskauskas %A Jack Gauldie %A Martin Kolb %A Norbert Voelkel %T Potential contribution of precursor cells to vascular remodeling in the AdTGF-β1 model of lung fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension %D 2011 %J European Respiratory Journal %P p3333 %V 38 %N Suppl 55 %X Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is associated with increased mortality in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The interaction between the fibrotic process and the pulmonary vasculature is incompletely understood. There is evidence in human and experimental pulmonary fibrosis that precursor cells may play a role in fibrogenesis, and that precursor cells may also be important for vascular remodeling in chronic models of pulmonary hypertension (PH). But the contribution of precursor cells to vascular remodeling and PH in pulmonary fibrosis has not been investigated yet.This study aimed to investigate the potential contribution of precursor cells to vascular remodeling in the AdTGF-β1 model of lung fibrosis and PH.Female Sprague Dawley rats received AdTGF-β1 or AdDL70 and were sacrificed at different time points (7, 14 and 28 days). Immunofluorescence stainings were performed on 3 μm sections of the left lung after formalin fixation.We detected cells expressing markers of endothelial progenitor cells (CD133/vWF, c-kit/vWF, CD133/VEGFR-2) in pulmonary arteries of AdTGF-β1 animals, mainly after 14 days. We also found cells expressing markers of fibrocytes (CXCR4/α-SMA, CXCR4/prolyl-4-hydroxylase, S100A4/CD34), around pulmonary arteries of AdTGF-β1 animals. In contrast, we did not find such cells in or around pulmonary arteries in AdDL70 treated animals.In conclusion, our data support the concept that precursor cells may contribute to postapoptotic vascular repair and pulmonary artery muscularization in experimental lung fibrosis. The detailed mechanisms of precursor cell attraction and activation are currently under investigation. %U