title: Proinflammatory cytokines regulate expression of the lymphatic endothelial mitogen vascular endothelial growth factor-C.
abstract: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a prime regulator of normal and pathological angiogenesis. Three related endothelial cell growth factors, VEGF-B, VEGF-C, and VEGF-D were recently cloned. We have here studied the regulation of VEGF-C, a lymphatic endothelial growth factor, by angiogenic proinflammatory cytokines. Interleukin (IL)-1beta induced a concentration- and a time-dependent increase in VEGF-C, but not in VEGF-B, mRNA steady-state levels in human lung fibroblasts. The increase in VEGF-C mRNA levels was mainly due to increased transcription rather than elevated mRNA stability as detected by the nuclear run-on method and by following mRNA decay in the presence of an inhibitor of transcription, respectively. In contrast, angiopoietin-1 mRNA, encoding the ligand for the endothelial-specific Tek/Tie-2 receptor, was down-regulated by IL-1beta. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha and IL-1alpha also elevated VEGF-C mRNA steady-state levels, whereas the IL-1 receptor antagonist and dexamethasone inhibited the effect of IL-1beta. Experiments with cycloheximide indicated that the effect of IL-1beta was independent of protein synthesis. Hypoxia, which is an important inducer of VEGF expression, had no effect on VEGF-B or VEGF-C mRNA levels. IL-1beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha also stimulated the production of VEGF-C protein by the fibroblasts. Cytokines and growth factors have previously been shown to down-regulate VEGF receptors in vascular endothelial cells. We found that the mRNA for the VEGF- and VEGF-C-binding VEGFR-2 (KDR/Flk-1) was stimulated by IL-1beta in human umbilical vein endothelial cells, whereas the mRNA levels of VEGFR-1 (Flt-1) and VEGFR-3 (Flt-4) were not altered. Our data suggest that in addition to VEGF, VEGF-C may also serve as an endothelial stimulus at sites of cytokine activation. In particular, these results raise the possibility that certain proinflammatory cytokines regulate the lymphatic vessels indirectly via VEGF-C.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, the Haartman Institute, and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haartmaninkatu 2, FIN-00290 University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ristimäki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Narko
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Enholm
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Joukov
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alitalo
mesh_terms: D015687:Cell Hypoxia; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D042787:Receptor, TIE-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C
chemical_list: D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D007375:Interleukin-1; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D042787:Receptor, TIE-2