Conclusion  Although altered Shh expression in the hypoplastic lung has been reported in late gestation, the present study did not reveal any significant alterations in pulmonary Shh spatial transcript distribution or gene expression level during the early gestation in nitrofen CDH model. It would be of great interest in future studies to use OPT approach to investigate pulmonary expression of Shh and other regulatory genes both during early and late stages of lung development in order to provide new insights into the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypoplasia. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ArticleDOI 10.1007/s00383-009-2452-5Authors Hideaki Sato, Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Children’s Research Centre Crumlin Dublin IrelandPaula Murphy, University ...