title: Astrocyte-derived VEGF mediates survival and tube stabilization of hypoxic brain microvascular endothelial cells in vitro.
abstract: Chronic sublethal hypoxia has been associated with changes in neurovascular behavior, mediated, in part, by induction of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A(165)). In this report we demonstrate that RBE4 cells (derived from rodent cerebral microvasculature), when cultured in three-dimensional collagen gels: (1) Are induced to undergo increased tube formation in response to VEGF-A(165) in a dose-dependent manner; (2) undergo apoptosis under mild hypoxic conditions; (3) are rescued from the effects of hypoxia by the addition of exogenous VEGF-A(165) in a dose-dependent and inhibitable manner or by co-culture with primary newborn rat astrocytes, which are induced to express increased amounts of VEGF-A in hypoxic conditions. Further, we demonstrate that: (4) The observed astrocyte-produced, VEGF-mediated protection from apoptosis (survival) is inhibitable with soluble recombinant VEGF receptor-1 (sFlt), and is associated with a robust induction of MAPK tyrosine phosphorylation. These findings illustrate the importance of VEGF in the process of neurovascular survival in response to injury in developing brain and provide insight into the signaling pathways involved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ogunshola
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Ment
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Madri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D015687:Cell Hypoxia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D003094:Collagen; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology*; D005782:Gels; D002534:Hypoxia, Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D051381:Rats; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
chemical_list: D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D005782:Gels; D008222:Lymphokines; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; D003094:Collagen; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases