Stimulation of in vitro angiogenesis by tetrahydrobiopterin in bovine aortic endothelial cells.
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.
Shimizu
S
S
Department of Pathophysiology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan.
Yasuda
M
M
Ishii
M
M
Nagai
T
T
Kiuchi
Y
Y
Yamamoto
T
T
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*
D001708:Biopterins; C003402:sapropterin