Fig. 6.

Unaltered endothelin-1 but altered levels of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), Ang II, bradykinin and EC adhesion molecules in cultured microvascular lung endothelial cells (MLEC) and/or in lungs of EC GC-A KO mice. a, b Real-time RT-PCR and radioimmunoassay (RIA) showed that the endothelial and pulmonary mRNA and peptide levels of ET-1 were not significantly different between genotypes. c ACE mRNA expression was increased in GC-A-deficient MLEC and in lungs from EC GC-A KO mice (n = 5). d, e Pulmonary levels of immunoreactive Ang II were significantly greater in EC GC-A KO mice whereas the pulmonary levels of bradykinin were diminished (P = 0.08). f VCAM-1, ICAM-1 and E-Selectin mRNA levels were increased in lungs from EC GC-A KO mice. The mRNA levels of all target genes were normalized to the levels of 12S ribosomal RNA as reference gene. All data are illustrated as x-fold changes in EC GC-A KO vs. control mice. n = 8 per genotype; *P < 0.05 vs. controls