title: Akt signaling mediates VEGF/VPF vascular permeability in vivo.
abstract: VEGF is an endothelial cell cytokine that promotes angiogenesis and enhances microvascular permeability. Recently, it has been shown that the protein kinase Akt functions in a key intercellular signaling pathway downstream of VEGF. Here, we employed adenovirus-mediated gene transfer in conjunction with the Miles assay in hairless albino guinea pigs to assess the role of Akt signaling in vascular permeability. VEGF-induced vascular permeability was blocked by the transduction of a dominant negative mutant of Akt. Conversely, transduction of a constitutively active form of Akt promoted vascular permeability in a manner similar to VEGF protein administration. This Akt-mediated increase in vascular permeability was inhibited by the eNOS inhibitor L-NAME. These data show that Akt signaling is both necessary and sufficient for vascular permeability in an in vivo model.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Cardiology, Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute, Boston University School of Medicine, 715 Albany Street, W611, Boston, MA 02118-2526, USA.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Six
authors.forename: Yasuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kureishi
authors.forename: Zhengyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Walsh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002199:Capillary Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009154:Mutation; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D015398:Signal Transduction; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
chemical_list: D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008222:Lymphokines; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt