HIF and pulmonary vascular responses to hypoxia

In the lung, acute reductions in oxygen lead to hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, whereas prolonged exposures to hypoxia result in sustained vasoconstriction, pulmonary vascular remodeling, and the development of pulmonary hypertension. Data from both human subjects and animal models implicate a role for hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), oxygen-sensitive transcription factors, in pulmonary vascular responses to both acute and chronic hypoxia. In this review, we discuss work from our laboratory and others supporting a role for HIF in modulating hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction and mediating hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension, identify some of the downstream targets of HIF, and assess the potential to pharmacologically target the HIF system.