title: Mesenchymal cells potentiate vascular endothelial growth factor-induced angiogenesis in vitro.
abstract: The role of soluble factors (including angiogenic cytokines) and extracellular matrix components in the regulation of angiogenesis is clearly established. However, the interrelationship between these factors and perivascular mesenchymal cells is not well understood. Here we have used a three-dimensional collagen gel coculture system to assess the effect of mesenchymal C3H10T1/2 cells on vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A)- and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2)-induced angiogenesis in vitro. We found that coculture markedly potentiated the angiogenic activity of VEGF-A, irrespective of whether or not direct cell-to-cell contact occurred. In contrast, under conditions in which cell-to-cell contact was possible, FGF-2-induced angiogenesis was inhibited by cocultured 10T1/2 cells; this effect was not seen when cell-to-cell contact was prevented. Attempts to identify the molecules responsible for this effect allowed us to exclude FGF-2, transforming growth factorbeta1, platelet derived growth factor-BB, angiopoietin-1, and NO as possible mediators of the potentiating effect of coculture on VEGF-A-induced invasion. In the living organism, angiogenesis occurs in a three-dimensional microenvironment. Contrary to the inhibitory effect of 10T1/2 cells previously reported by others in two-dimensional cultures, our data demonstrate that the paracrine interaction between endothelial and mesenchymal cells potentiates angiogenesis in vitro and that this is cytokine-specific, i.e., it occurs with VEGF-A but not with FGF-2.
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, University Medical Center, 1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jean-Christophe
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Tille
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Pepper
mesh_terms: D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D042683:Angiopoietin-1; D000818:Animals; D000077214:Becaplermin; D002196:Capillaries / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002417:Cattle; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D020574:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-sis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents; D042683:Angiopoietin-1; D024042:Collagen Type I; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor; D020574:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-sis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C508960:TGFB1 protein, human; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D000077214:Becaplermin; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2