title: Vascular endothelial growth factor mediates vasogenic edema in acute lead encephalopathy.
abstract: Brain injury from inorganic Pb(2+) is considered the most important environmental childhood health hazard worldwide. The microvasculature of the developing brain is uniquely susceptible to high level Pb(2+) toxicity (ie, Pb(2+) encephalopathy) characterized by cerebellar hemorrhage, increased blood-brain barrier permeability, and vasogenic edema. However, the specific molecular mediators of Pb(2+) encephalopathy have been elusive. We found that Pb(2+) induces vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular permeability factor (VEGF) in cultured astrocytes (J Biol Chem, 2000;275:27874-27882). The study presented here asks if VEGF dysregulation contributes mechanistically to Pb(2+) encephalopathy. Neonatal rats exposed to 4% Pb-carbonate develop the histopathological features of Pb(2+) encephalopathy seen in children. Cerebellar VEGF expression increased approximately twofold (p < 0.01) concurrent with the development of cerebellar microvascular hemorrhage, enhanced vascular permeability to serum albumin, and vasogenic cerebellar edema (p < 0.01). No change in VEGF expression occurred in cerebral cortex that does not develop these histopathological complications of acute Pb(2+) intoxication. Pb(2+) exposure increased phosphorylation of cerebellar Flk-1 VEGF receptors and the Flk-1 inhibitor CEP-3967 completely blocked cerebellar edema formation without affecting microhemorrhage formation or blood-brain barrier permeability. This establishes that Pb(2+)-induced vasogenic edema formation develops via a Flk-1-dependent mechanism and suggests that the vascular permeability caused by Pb(2+) is Flk-1 independent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Mir Ahamed
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hossain
authors.forename: Juliet C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miknyoczki
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ruggeri
authors.forename: Bachchu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lal
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Laterra
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D007854:Lead / Q000633:toxicity*; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D007854:Lead; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2