BMAL1 sex-specific effects in the neonatal mouse airway exposed to moderate hyperoxia

Supplemental O₂ (hyperoxia) is a critical intervention for premature infants (<34 weeks) but consequently is associated with development of bronchial airway hyperreactivity (AHR) and asthma. Clinical practice shifted toward the use of moderate hyperoxia (<60% O₂), but risk for subsequent airway disease remains. In mouse models of moderate hyperoxia, neonatal mice have increased AHR with effects on airway smooth muscle (ASM), a cell type involved in airway tone, bronchodilation, and remodeling. Understanding mechanisms by which moderate O₂ during the perinatal period initiates sustained airway changes is critical to drive therapeutic advancements toward treating airway diseases. We propose that cellular clock factor BMAL1 is functionally important in developing mouse airways. In adult mice, cellular clocks target pathways highly relevant to asthma pathophysiology and Bmal1 deletion increases inflammatory response, worsens lung function, and impacts survival outcomes. Our understanding of BMAL1 in the developing lung is limited, but our previous findings show functional relevance of clocks in human fetal ASM exposed to O₂. Here, we characterize Bmal1 in our established mouse neonatal hyperoxia model. Our data show that Bmal1 KO deleteriously impacts the developing lung in the context of O₂ and these data highlight the importance of neonatal sex in understanding airway disease.