Previous studies on double deficient mice for leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) reported that they died of respiratory failure, with abnormal lung histology and altered expression of pulmonary markers. Here we analyzed prenatal Lif/Igf-I double mutant mouse embryos to characterize LIF and IGF-I cooperative roles in distal lung epithelium and vascular maturation. Lungs of IGF-I-deficient embryos displayed a higher proportion of type II pneumocytes, less differentiated type I pneumocytes, and failure in alveolar capillary remodeling compared to wild type and LIF-deficient mice. Lif/Igf-I double knockout lungs showed aggravated pulmonary hypoplasia, lower airway volume, increased proliferation, and elevated levels of ERK1/2 activation. In addition, their alveoli were collapsed and lined by type II cells. The differentiation of type I cells barely occurred and capillaries remained in the abundant mesenchyme. These results indicate that LIF collaborates with IGF-I in lung alveolar epithelium and vascular maturation.

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