title: Endothelins are angiogenic.
abstract: Endothelins-1 and 3 (ET-1 and 3) were evaluated for angiogenesis in the rat cornea. Bisected 2 mm pellets containing 20-1000 ng of ET-1 or ET-3 in Hydron were placed in corneal micro-pockets. Murine vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and human interleukin-8 (IL-8) were positive controls. No angiogenesis occurred in 32 corneas with pellets containing only saline. With 200 ng VEGF pellets, 27/52 corneas (52%) demonstrated angiogenesis. With 200 ng IL-8 pellets, 32/51 corneas (63%) demonstrated angiogenesis. With 20-1000 ng ET-1 pellets, angiogenesis occurred in 65/91 corneas (71%); with ET-3 pellets, 84/116 (72%). ET-1- and ET-3-mediated angiogenesis was unaffected by cyclophosphamide-induced leukopenia. ET-1-mediated angiogenesis was inhibited by an ET(A)-receptor antagonist (ra) (BQ610) and a combined ET(A)/ET(B) ra (bosentan). However, ET-1-mediated angiogenesis was not inhibited by an ET(B) ra(BQ788) and a weak ET(A) ra(BQ123). Thus, ET-1 and -3 are angiogenic in the rat cornea; this effect appears to be direct, not leukocyte-mediated, and ET(A)-receptor-dependent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center and the University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Medicine, USA. eugenebek@aol.com
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Bek
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: McMillen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000077300:Bosentan; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019334:Endothelin-3 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D019332:Endothelin-1; D019334:Endothelin-3; D009842:Oligopeptides; D013449:Sulfonamides; C087220:BQ 610; D000077300:Bosentan