Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 18, 2026
Mouse Embryonic Lung Culture, A System to Evaluate the Molecular Mechanisms of Branching
Published on: June 30, 2010
Platelet-derived growth factors and growth-related genes in rat lung. III. Immunolocalization during fetal
1Department of Paediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Insights
Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is present in developing rat lungs, with its distribution changing throughout gestation. These findings suggest PDGF plays a role in fetal lung development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is crucial for various cellular processes.
- Its specific role in fetal lung development requires further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the distribution and expression of PDGF homodimers (PDGF-AA and PDGF-BB) during rat fetal lung development.
- To correlate PDGF expression patterns with specific developmental stages.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemistry was used to localize PDGF-AA and PDGF-BB in rat lung tissue from embryonic day 12 to 22.
- Western blotting was employed to quantify PDGF homodimer protein concentrations throughout gestation.
Main Results:
- PDGF-AA and PDGF-BB were detected in airway epithelial cells by day 12, preceding their appearance in mesenchymal cells.
- Immunoreactivity for both homodimers peaked during the pseudoglandular stage and decreased during later stages.
- Protein concentrations were highest during embryonic and pseudoglandular stages, declining with advancing gestation.
Conclusions:
- The spatiotemporal expression of PDGF-AA and PDGF-BB in both airway epithelium and mesenchyme supports its role in fetal lung development.
- Gestation-dependent changes in PDGF homodimer levels indicate a dynamic involvement in lung morphogenesis.
Abstract:
To further study the role of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) in fetal lung development, the distribution of the PDGF homodimers PDGF-AA and PDGF-BB was examined by immunohistochemistry in embryonic and fetal rat lung from d 12 to 22 of gestation (term = 22 d). PDGF-AA and PDGF-BB were localized to airway epithelial cells as early as d 12 of gestation, 2 d before their appearance in mesenchymal cells. Both PDGF homodimer immunoreactivities increased until the late pseudoglandular stage of lung development, followed by fluctuations in reactivity during the canalicular stage. Only weak immunoreactivity to either PDGF homodimer was evident during the saccular stage of lung development. Immunodetection by Western blotting revealed that PDGF-AA and PDGF-BB homodimer protein concentrations were high during the embryonic and pseudoglandular stage of lung development and decreased with advancing gestation. We conclude that the presence of PDGF in both developing airway epithelial cells and mesenchymal cells, as well as gestation-dependent changes of PDGF homodimers, is compatible with a role for this growth factor during fetal lung development.
