Expression of Connective Tissue Growth Factor and Bone Morphogenetic Protein-7 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa-induced Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Rats

Figures & data

Table 1.  Primer sequences

Gene name	5′—3′	Product length (bp)
CTGF	CCAATGACAATACCTTCTGC	148
	GAAAGCTCAAACTTGACAGG
BMP-7	GATACCACCATCGAGAGTTC	148
	TGGAGCACCTGATAGACTGT
GAPDH	GTATGACTCTACCCACGGCAAG	101
	GATCTCGCTCCTGGAAGATG

Table 2.  Body weight at different time points

	NS group	PA group	p
0 days	290.83 ± 5.85	293.33 ± 7.53	0.5350
1 day	282.5  ± 6.89	279.17 ± 5.85	0.3875
1 week	300   ± 6.32	299.17 ± 4.92	0.8040
2 weeks	300   ± 11.83	297.5  ± 5.24	0.6463
4 weeks	310.83 ± 9.7	292.5  ± 9.35	0.0076
8 weeks	335.83 ± 5.85	309.17 ± 8.61	<0.0001
12 weeks	347.5  ± 9.35	317.5  ± 6.89	<0.0001
16 weeks	365.83 ± 7.36	324.17 ± 7.36	<0.0001

Bold: p < 0.05 between two groups.

Table 3.  PaO₂ and PaCO₂ at different time points

	PaO2			PaCO2
	NS group	PA group	p	NS group	PA group	p
0 days	113.72 ± 6.65	111.28 ± 8.46	0.5918	69.77 ± 2.84	70.88 ± 2.98	0.5215
1 day	109.23 ± 10.67	105.2  ± 8.99	0.4950	66.63 ± 8.12	66.72 ± 5.68	0.9840
1 week	107.95 ± 8.09	110.45 ± 9.26	0.6291	63.12 ± 6.04	63 ± 5.27	0.9723
2 weeks	108.25 ± 5.66	104.72 ± 9.28	0.4443	66.3  ± 5.48	68.32 ± 3.76	0.4742
4 weeks	99.12  ± 7.65	98.95  ± 7.31	0.9700	65.85 ± 5.49	63.2  ± 4.53	0.3833
8 weeks	102.48 ± 4.16	100.45 ± 4.35	0.4274	71.83 ± 2.25	70.82 ± 4.78	0.6474
12 weeks	100.42 ± 5.34	78.35 ± 5.3	<0.0001	64.53 ± 4.13	79.68 ± 5.49	0.0003*
16 weeks	101.22 ± 3.12	71.42  ± 4.11	<0.0001	69.1  ± 3.37	81.53 ± 4.7	0.0004*

Bold: p < 0.05 between two groups.

Table 4.  Lung function at different time points

	FEV0.3/FVC			PEF			Re
	NS group	PA group	p	NS group	PA group	p	NS group	PA group	p
0 day	88.65 ± 1.13	89.53 ± 1.15	0.2123	31.2  ± 0.68	31.31 ± 0.6	0.7763	0.42 ± 0.05	0.43 ± 0.07	0.7262
1 days	83.96 ± 1.92	84.47 ± 0.82	0.5639	30.25 ± 1.83	36.07 ± 4.19	0.0109	0.49 ± 0.07	0.5  ± 0.07	0.8415
1 week	88.47 ± 0.78	85.84 ± 0.2	<0.0001	30.4  ± 0.14	28.24 ± 2.01	0.0255	0.4  ± 0.05	0.51 ± 0.02	0.0007
2 weeks	82.3  ± 1.15	81.46 ± 3.14*	0.5497	28.8  ± 0.83	28.39 ± 1.05	0.4717	0.42 ± 0.06	0.44 ± 0.06	0.5528
4 weeks	83.91 ± 13.07	83.04 ± 3.42	0.8779	28.01 ± 3.85	27.9  ± 1.48	0.9487	0.55 ± 0.03	0.6  ± 0.12	0.3209
8 weeks	85.46 ± 2.13	80.6  ± 2.82*	0.0072	28.51 ± 0.67	24.96 ± 0.62*	<0.0001	0.7  ± 0.1*	0.54 ± 0.11	0.0299
12 weeks	85.05 ± 4.2	80.36 ± 2.72*	0.0446	28.74 ± 0.58	26.55 ± 2.83*	0.0928	0.52 ± 0.14^†	0.61 ± 0.1*	0.2254
16 weeks	79.24 ± 9.22	56.68 ± 9.17*^†	0.0017	27.43 ± 1.62*	19.24 ± 2.69*^†	<0.0001	0.56 ± 0.09	0.64 ± 0.05*	0.0857

*p < 0.05 vs day 0.

^†p < 0.05 vs last time point.

FEV_0.3/FVC, forced expiratory volume in 0.3 sec/forced vital capacity; PEF, forced peak expiratory flow; Re, expiratory resistance.

Bold: p < 0.05 between two groups.

Figure 1.  Pathological examination of the lung.

Table 5.  Goblet cell scoring of PA and NS groups (n = 6)

	NS group	PA group	p-value
0 day	0   ± 0	0   ± 0	1.0000
1 day	0.17 ± 0.41	0.33 ± 0.52	0.5670
1 week	0.33 ± 0.52	1   ± 0	0.0102
2 weeks	0.5  ± 0.55	1   ± 0	0.0502
4 weeks	0.5  ± 0.55	1.5  ± 0.55	0.0104
8 weeks	0.67 ± 0.52	1.67 ± 0.52	0.0076
12 weeks	0.83 ± 0.41	2.5  ± 0.55	0.0002
16 weeks	0.67 ± 0.52	2.83 ± 0.41	<0.0001

PA, Pseudomonas aeruginosa; NS, normal saline.Bold: p < 0.05 between two groups.

Table 6.  Thickness of tracheal wall and vessel wall at different time points

	Thickness of tracheal wall (μm)			Thickness of vessel wall (μm)
	NS group	PA group	p	NS group	PA group	p
0 day	311   ± 8.25	309.17 ± 9.7	0.7317	100   ± 8.94	108.33 ± 8.16	0.1228
1 day	310.5  ± 11.29	306.5  ± 10.19	0.5340	102.5  ± 9.35	107.5  ± 10.37	0.4010
1 week	314   ± 5.55	314.83 ± 11.67	0.8776	113.33 ± 6.06	113.33 ± 10.33	1.0000
2 weeks	313.67 ± 8.16	323.67 ± 4.13	0.0232	115   ± 10.95	120.83 ± 13.2	0.4242
4 weeks	320   ± 10.41	344.33 ± 10.93	0.0027	112.5  ± 15.08	134.17 ± 11.14	0.0178
8 weeks	333   ± 7.16	384   ± 9.06	<0.0001	110.83 ± 13.2	157.5  ± 15.08	0.0002
12 weeks	344.5  ± 4.72	494.67 ± 9.58	<0.0001	116.67 ± 14.72	155.83 ± 15.94	0.0013
16 weeks	344.5  ± 11.88	524.5  ± 18.59	<0.0001	120   ± 15.81	163.33 ± 12.52	0.0004

Bold: p < 0.05 between two groups.

Table 7.  Neutrophil counts in trachea, bronchiole and alveolus

	Trachea			Bronchiole			Alveolus
	NS group	PA group	p	NS group	PA group	p	NS group	PA group	p
0 day	2.0 ± 0.71	1.8  ± 0.45	0.5729	1.8 ± 0.45	2.2  ± 0.45	0.1547	2.2 ± 0.84	2.4  ± 1.14	0.7365
4 weeks	4.6 ± 1.14	20.6 ± 6.69	0.0002	4.4 ± 1.95	14.4 ± 3.65	0.0001	3.4 ± 1.14	19.0 ± 7.94	0.0008
12 weeks	6.0 ± 1.58	14.4 ± 3.05	0.0001	5.2 ± 1.48	11.6 ± 2.07	0.0001	4.8 ± 1.79	16.8 ± 4.81	0.0002
16 weeks	4.8 ± 1.64	11.8 ± 2.59	0.0002	4.2 ± 1.48	10.6 ± 2.88	0.0007	3.0 ± 1.58	13.8 ± 2.86	0.0001

Bold: p < 0.05 between two groups.

Figure 2.  Protein expression of CTGF and BMP-7. A. CTGF protein expression B. BMP-7 protein expression. C. representative images (×200) of CTGF and BMP-7 staining in PA and NS groups. *p < 0.05 vs control group at same time point.

Figure 3.  mRNA expression of CTGF in the lung. *p < 0.05 vs control group at same time point.

Figure 4.  mRNA expression of BMP-7 in the lung. *p < 0.05 vs control group at same time point.

Figure 5.  Correlation of lung pathology with expression of CTGF and BMP-7 (r).