Fig. 5.

Rat PAH is associated with increased Nox1, CREB, CREB:Cre binding and Gremlin1 expression. Rats were treated with a single injection of VEGF receptor (VEGFr) inhibitor SU5416 (20 mg/Kg) followed by 3 weeks in a hypoxia ventilated chamber (10% O₂) or were subjected to 3 wks normoxia. VEGFr inhibition exacerbates chronic-hypoxia induced PAH. (A) RV maximum pressure, and (B) RV hypertrophy as measured by Fulton index (RV/left ventricule+septum weight ratio), (n = 8); * ** *p < 0.0001. Western blotting of (C) Nox1, (D) CREB, and (E) Gremlin1 protein levels in lung homogenates from Su-Hy-treated rats compared with normoxic controls, (n = 4); *p < 0.05 and * *p < 0.01. Protein expression was normalized to β-actin protein expression. (F) Evaluation of CRE-specific DNA binding of pCREB by TransAM^© pCREB transcription factor ELISA kit (n = 3–4); *p < 0.05. Absorbance (OD at 450 nM) was quantified and expressed as a function of normoxic controls. All data are shown as means ± S.E.M. Student’s t-test was performed.