PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - B. Maitre
AU  - S. Boussat
AU  - D. Jean
AU  - M. Gouge
AU  - L. Brochard
AU  - B. Housset
AU  - S. Adnot
AU  - C. Delclaux
TI  - Vascular endothelial growth factor synthesis in the acute phase of experimental and clinical lung injury
AID  - 10.1183/09031936.01.00074701
DP  - 2001 Jul 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 100--106
VI  - 18
IP  - 1
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/18/1/100.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/18/1/100.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2001 Jul 01; 18
AB  - Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent angiogenic and endothelial survival factor, which is abundantly expressed in the normal lung. Conceivably, VEGF may be released by numerous cell types found around the airspaces, including alveolar type 2 cells, alveolar macrophages, and polymorphonuclear neutrophils.Using a bacteria-induced lung injury model in rats, VEGF expression in lung was investigated. Both VEGF protein and VEGF messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), 4 and 24 h after bacterial challenge (Pseudomonas aeruginosa), were decreased compared with sham rats.VEGF protein was also investigated in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) from patients studied within 7 days of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) onset and in patients without ARDS. VEGF protein levels in BAL were decreased in patients with ARDS versus those without (14.3±11.1 pg·mL−1 versus 76.8±51.1 pg·mL−1, p=0.03).In aggregate, these findings show that the initial phase of acute lung injury is associated with a decrease in vascular endothelial growth factor in the lung. This downregulation may represent a protective mechanism aimed at limiting endothelial permeability, and may participate in the decrease in capillary number that is observed during early acute respiratory distress syndrome.