Figure 6. Impaired lung morphology and function of Et2-null mice.

(A and B) qRT-PCR was performed using mRNAs extracted from isolated epithelial and mesenchymal cell populations of rat lung to examine the purity of cell fractions (A) and expression of ET-2, ET_A, and ET_B (B) (n = 3–5). Values are presented as fold change relative to gene expression in epithelium for Krt18, Et2, Eta, and Etb, and in mesenchyme for Vim. (C) Histological phenotypes of the lungs of Et2-null and littermate WT mice. Lung sections from constitutive Et2-null (P1-P21) and adult Et2^f/f;CAGGCre-ER^TM (8-week-old) mice and their control littermates were stained with H&E. Original magnification, ×10. (D) Blood gas of constitutive Et2-null (2-week-old) and adult Et2^f/f;CAGGCre-ER^TM (8-week-old) mice and their control littermates (n = 6). (E–G) Levels of erythropoietin (Epo) mRNA in kidneys (left) and protein in serum (right) (E), hematocrit (Hct) (F) level, and total lung capacity (G) of constitutive Et2-null and control littermate mice at 3 weeks of age (n = 5). *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ^#P < 0.001.