title: Vascular endothelial growth factor up-regulates cyclooxygenase-2 expression in human endothelial cells.
abstract: We investigated the effects of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) synthesis in human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1). Treatment of HMEC-1 with VEGF resulted in a dose- and time-dependent up-regulation of COX-2 mRNA and protein levels. This up-regulation was accompanied by a 1.6-fold increase in PGE(2) synthesis. Pretreatment of HMEC-1 with a selective COX-2 inhibitor, NS-398, abolished VEGF-induced PGE(2) synthesis, suggesting specific up-regulation of COX-2 activity by VEGF in HMEC-1. Transient transfection assays using deletion mutants of the human COX-2 promoter fused to the luciferase reporter gene indicated critical requirement of a regulatory region spanning -828/-123 bp for VEGF induction of COX-2 promoter activity in HMEC-1. Site-directed mutation analysis demonstrated that a GATA cis-acting element at -685/-680 bp was essential for VEGF- induced COX-2 promoter activity in HMEC-1. These observations are of particular importance given the recent demonstrations of critical requirement of COX-2 isoenzyme for tumor growth and angiogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ostetrics and Gynecology, The University of Illinois at Chicago, 820 South Wood Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
authors.forename: Mitsutoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: Siby
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sebastian
authors.forename: Bilgin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gurates
authors.forename: Sijun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zongjuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Serdar E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Bulun
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics; D015854:Up-Regulation; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
chemical_list: D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008222:Lymphokines; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; D015232:Dinoprostone