Biomaterial Database

Hypoxia and the lung: beyond hypoxic vasoconstriction. 2007

Mark R Nicolls, and Norbert F Voelkel

Pulmonary Hypertension Center and Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado 80262, USA. norbert.voelkel@uchsc.edu

This article extends the influence and effects of hypoxia on the lung beyond vasoconstriction and regional blood flow control. Clearly, hypoxia, via the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1alpha, induces a large number of genes encoding proteins, which control cellular metabolism and growth and also participate in inflammation. Hypoxia, likely via vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), recruits bone marrow precursor cells to the lung and affects the behavior of immune cells. How hypoxia shapes immune responses through VEGF and its receptors on mast cells, eosinophils, and dendritic cells and through lung endothelial cell/lymphocyte interactions will be a productive area for future research.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008168	Lung	Either of the pair of organs occupying the cavity of the thorax that effect the aeration of the blood.	Lungs
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D000860	Hypoxia	Sub-optimal OXYGEN levels in the ambient air of living organisms.	Anoxia,Oxygen Deficiency,Anoxemia,Deficiency, Oxygen,Hypoxemia,Deficiencies, Oxygen,Oxygen Deficiencies
D014661	Vasoconstriction	The physiological narrowing of BLOOD VESSELS by contraction of the VASCULAR SMOOTH MUSCLE.	Vasoconstrictions
D015398	Signal Transduction	The intracellular transfer of information (biological activation/inhibition) through a signal pathway. In each signal transduction system, an activation/inhibition signal from a biologically active molecule (hormone, neurotransmitter) is mediated via the coupling of a receptor/enzyme to a second messenger system or to an ion channel. Signal transduction plays an important role in activating cellular functions, cell differentiation, and cell proliferation. Examples of signal transduction systems are the GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID-postsynaptic receptor-calcium ion channel system, the receptor-mediated T-cell activation pathway, and the receptor-mediated activation of phospholipases. Those coupled to membrane depolarization or intracellular release of calcium include the receptor-mediated activation of cytotoxic functions in granulocytes and the synaptic potentiation of protein kinase activation. Some signal transduction pathways may be part of larger signal transduction pathways; for example, protein kinase activation is part of the platelet activation signal pathway.	Cell Signaling,Receptor-Mediated Signal Transduction,Signal Pathways,Receptor Mediated Signal Transduction,Signal Transduction Pathways,Signal Transduction Systems,Pathway, Signal,Pathway, Signal Transduction,Pathways, Signal,Pathways, Signal Transduction,Receptor-Mediated Signal Transductions,Signal Pathway,Signal Transduction Pathway,Signal Transduction System,Signal Transduction, Receptor-Mediated,Signal Transductions,Signal Transductions, Receptor-Mediated,System, Signal Transduction,Systems, Signal Transduction,Transduction, Signal,Transductions, Signal