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Updated: Jun 23, 2026
Phenotyping Mouse Pulmonary Function In Vivo with the Lung Diffusing Capacity
Published on: January 6, 2015
Low dietary inorganic phosphate affects the lung growth of developing mice
Cheng Xiong Xu1, Hua Jin, Youn Sun Chung
1Laboratory of Toxicology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
Insights
Low inorganic phosphate (Pi) levels disrupt protein translation and cell cycle in developing mouse lungs. Maintaining optimal Pi balance is crucial for lung health.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Physiology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Inorganic phosphate (Pi) is essential for cellular functions.
- Sodium-dependent Pi co-transporter (NPT) regulates Pi balance.
- Pulmonary NPT has been identified, but lung-specific Pi effects are understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of a low inorganic phosphate (Pi) diet on the lungs of developing mice.
- To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying Pi's impact on lung development.
Main Methods:
- Developing transgenic mice were fed either a low Pi (0.1%) or normal (0.5%) diet for 4 weeks.
- Lung tissues were analyzed using luciferase assay, Western blotting, kinase assay, and immunohistochemistry.
Main Results:
- Low Pi significantly affected protein translation and cell cycle progression in developing mouse lungs.
- The expression of fibroblast growth factor-2 was altered under low Pi conditions.
- These molecular changes indicate a disruption of normal lung development.
Conclusions:
- Dietary inorganic phosphate (Pi) levels critically influence lung development in mice.
- Low Pi intake can lead to molecular disturbances in the lung, affecting protein synthesis and cell cycle.
- Adequate Pi consumption is important for maintaining lung health during development.
Abstract:
Inorganic phosphate (Pi) plays a critical role in diverse cellular functions, and regulating the Pi balance is accomplished by sodium-dependent Pi co-transporter (NPT). Pulmonary NPT has recently been identified in mammalian lungs. However, to date, many of the studies that have involved Pi have mainly focused on its effect on bone and kidney. Therefore, current study was performed to discover the potential effects of low Pi on the lung of developing transgenic mice expressing the renilla/firefly luciferase dual reporter gene. Two-weeks old male mice divided into 2 groups and these groups were fed either a low PI diet or a normal control diet (normal: 0.5% Pi, low: 0.1% Pi) for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks of the diet, all the mice were sacrificed. Their lungs were harvested and analyzed by performing luciferase assay, Western blotting, kinase assay and immunohistochemistry. Our results demonstrate that low Pi affects the lungs of developing mice by disturbing protein translation, the cell cycle and the expression of fibroblast growth factor-2. These results suggest that optimally regulating Pi consumption may be important to maintain health.
