Abstract
Premature infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), are at risk for frequent respiratory infections and reduced pulmonary function. We studied whether neonatal hyperoxia disrupts adaptive immune responses in adult mice, contributing to higher respiratory‐related morbidities seen in these infants. Newborn mice litters were randomized at 3 days to 85% O2 or room air (RA) for 12 days. Whole lung mRNA was isolated in both the groups at 2 weeks and 3 months. Gene expression for T‐cell and B‐cell adaptive immune response was performed by real‐time PCR and qRT‐PCR; protein expression (p21, IL4, IL10, IL27, cd4) was performed by enzyme immunoassay along with p21 immunohistochemistry. Hyperoxia increased expression of p21 and decreased expression of 19 genes representing T/B‐cell activation by ≥ fourfold; three of them significantly (Rag1, Cd1d1, Cd28) compared to the RA group at 2 weeks. Despite RA recovery, the expression of IFN γ, IL27, and CD40 was significantly reduced at 3 months in the hyperoxia group. Expression of p21 was significantly higher and IL27 protein lower at 2 weeks following hyperoxia. Adult mice exposed to neonatal hyperoxia had lower IL4 and IL10 in the lung at 3 months. Adaptive immune responses are developmentally regulated and neonatal hyperoxia suppresses expression of genes involved in T‐/B‐cell activation with continued alterations in gene expression at 3 months. Dysfunction of adaptive immune responses increases the risk for susceptibility to infection in premature infants.
Highlights
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia is the most common form of chronic lung disease following premature birth, especially in extremely low-birth-weight (ELBW) infants
Hyperoxia suppresses genes involved in T-cell and B-cell activation at 2 weeks
Of the 84 genes in the PCR array, there was widespread suppression of gene expression involved in B-cell and T-cell function following 12 days of hyperoxia (Table 1)
Summary
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia is the most common form of chronic lung disease following premature birth, especially in extremely low-birth-weight (ELBW) infants. Multifactorial origin of the disease makes it especially difficult to treat these infants, with no specific therapies in sight. Despite recent advances such as gentler ventilation strategies and surfactant, the incidence of BPD has not changed over the last few decades, reflecting improved survival of extremely low-birth-weight infants who are at highest risk for BPD (Schmidt et al 2015). Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Physiological Society and the American Physiological Society
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