title: Vascular endothelial growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 expression in mdx mouse brain.
abstract: Recent data have demonstrated that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is expressed by subsets of neurons, coincident with angiogenesis within its developing cerebral cortex. In this study, with the aim of elucidating the mechanisms of vascular involvement during brain impairment in Duchenne muscular distrophy (DMD), we have correlated the vascular density with VEGF and VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) expression in the brain cortex of normal and mdx mouse, an animal model with a genetic defect in a region homologous with the human DMD gene. Results showed that in mdx mouse, tissue area occupied by microvessels positive to factor VIII related antigen and VEGFR-2 increased in parallel to the tissue area occupied by neurons positive to VEGF. Our data suggest that increased vascularity in the brain of mdx mouse may be due, at least in part, to proliferation of endothelial cells in response to VEGF secreted by neuronal cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy and Histology, University of Bari medical School, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nico
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Corsi
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vacca
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Roncali
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ribatti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000737:chemistry*; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000032:analysis*; D005169:Factor VIII / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000032:analysis*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018101:Mice, Inbred mdx; D009137:Muscular Dystrophy, Animal / Q000378:metabolism*; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000032:analysis*; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008222:Lymphokines; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; D014841:von Willebrand Factor; D005169:Factor VIII; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2