Basic fibroblast growth factor and growth factor receptor gene expression in 85% O₂-exposed rat lung

Lungs exposed to elevated O₂ concentrations suffer an initial loss of type I pneumocytes, followed by a reparative type II pneumocyte hyperplasia. We hypothesized that type II pneumocyte hyperplasia after exposure of young adult rats to 85% O₂ in vivo would be temporally related to 1) an increased concentration of intrapulmonary basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), a potent stimulator of type II pneumocyte DNA synthesis in vitro, and 2) an upregulation of pneumocyte receptors for bFGF (FGF-R). Increased rat lung bFGF mRNA, relative to air-exposed control animals, was observed at 4 days of exposure, with no increase at days 6 and 14 of exposure. Parallel changes were observed with bFGF receptor (flg) mRNA. Nuclear runoff assays confirmed increased transcription of both bFGF and flg genes in response to 85% O₂, whereas increased translation at 6 days of exposure was confirmed by protein immunoanalysis. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated a broad distribution of bFGF throughout the lung, including the alveolar epithelium, which increased after 6 and 14 days of exposure to 85% O₂. Our findings are compatible with a role for bFGF in O₂-mediated pneumocyte hyperplasia.