Peripheral blood platelets express VEGF-C and VEGF which are released during platelet activation.
VEGF-C is a recently characterised endothelial growth factor structurally related to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). We studied the expression of VEGF-C and VEGF in the cells of peripheral blood and in the umbilical cord blood CD 34+ cells, representing haematopoietic progenitor cells. Expression of VEGF-C was detected in the CD34+ cells. In peripheral blood VEGF-C mRNA was restricted to platelets and T-cells. In contrast to the expression pattern of VEGF-C, VEGF mRNA was detected in all peripheral blood cell fractions studied, and also in CD34+ cells. VEGF-C mRNA was also detected in fresh bone marrow samples of acute leukaemia patients, but the expression did not show lineage specificity. VEGF-C and VEGF polypeptides were present in platelets and they were released from activated platelets together with the release of beta-thromboglobulin, suggesting that VEGF-C and VEGF reside in the alpha-granules of platelets. VEGF-C and VEGF, released from activated platelets, may have a role in angiogenesis during wound healing, and possibly also in other pathological conditions, such as atherosclerosis, tumour growth, and metastasis formation.
Department of Clinical Chemistry and Biomedicine, University of Helsinki, Finland.
U
U
Wartiovaara
P
P
Salven
H
H
Mikkola
R
R
Lassila
J
J
Kaukonen
V
V
Joukov
A
A
Orpana
A
A
Ristimäki
M
M
Heikinheimo
H
H
Joensuu
K
K
Alitalo
A
A
Palotie
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000097:blood*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015539:Platelet Activation; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
D018952:Antigens, CD34; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D008222:Lymphokines; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors