title: Vascular endothelial growth factor induces expression of the antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and A1 in vascular endothelial cells.
abstract: We examined the role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in preventing apoptosis in primary human umbilical vein endothelial (HUVE) cells. VEGF was capable of preventing serum starvation-induced apoptosis at concentrations between 10 and 100 ng/ml. The addition of VEGF to serum-starved HUVE cells led to a 5. 2-fold induction of Bcl-2 after 36 h and to a transient, 2.4-fold induction of A1 after a 7-h incubation, as quantitated by real time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis. Western blot analysis demonstrated a 2-3-fold induction of Bcl-2 protein after 18-36 h of exposure to VEGF and a transient induction of A1 after 7 h of VEGF stimulation. Moreover, overexpression of Bcl-2 by means of transient biolistic transfection experiments of HUVE cells was sufficient to prevent endothelial cells from apoptotic cell death in the absence of VEGF. These findings indicate that Bcl-2 plays an important role in mediating the survival activity of VEGF on endothelial cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Research, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, USA.
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Gerber
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dixit
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ferrara
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000235:genetics; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D017931:DNA Primers; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D019254:Genes, bcl-2; D006801:Humans; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
chemical_list: D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D017931:DNA Primers; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D008222:Lymphokines; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors