The effects of hypoxia on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in broiler lung fibroblasts

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of hypoxic stresses on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in cultured lung fibroblasts of meat-type chickens. Isolated and subcultured primary lung fibroblasts were exposed to hypoxia. The presence of VEGF and the effects of hypoxia on cultured lung fibroblasts and in the culture media were evaluated. Immunocytochemistry using streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase method and ELISA using commercially available primary monoclonal antibodies were used for evaluation in both 6-h and 12-h hypoxic fibroblasts. The level of VEGF was slightly higher in the 6-h hypoxic group (1.22 ng/mL) than in the 6-h control group (1.27 ng/mL) in cell culture media by ELISA. In the 6-h hypoxic group, a correlation between the decrease in immunocytochemical score and increase in medium with VEGF was observed. The presence of VEGF was shown in cultured chicken lung fibroblasts from meat-type chickens. In conclusion, a significant decrease in immunocytochemical staining score was observed along with a slight increase in the amount of VEGF in culture media under hypoxic conditions. The results suggest that VEGF might have a role in edema formation via permeability increase in the lungs of ascitic meat-type chickens.