title: Stimulation of in vitro angiogenesis by tetrahydrobiopterin in bovine aortic endothelial cells.
abstract: This study examined whether tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) stimulates angiogenesis by measuring the formation of tube-like structures in vascular endothelial cells. Bovine aortic endothelial cells that were cultured between two layers of collagen type I gel formed tube-like networks. Addition of BH4 or sepiapterin, a precursor of BH4 synthesis, stimulated the formation of tube-like structures. The sepiapterin-stimulated tube formation was completely inhibited by co-treatment with N-acetylserotonin, an inhibitor of sepiapterin reductase. These findings show that BH4 stimulates in vitro angiogenesis in vascular endothelial cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kiuchi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001708:Biopterins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002417:Cattle; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D001708:Biopterins; C003402:sapropterin