title: Increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and capillary density in hearts of spontaneously hypertensive rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The role of VEGF in vascular remodeling of target organs exposed to chronic hypertension is poorly understood. The authors compared capillary density (CD), capillary-to-fiber ratio (C/F), and VEGF mRNA expression in the hearts (left ventricle [LV]), and skeletal muscles (soleus and anterior tibialis [AT]) of 18-week-old male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and age-matched male Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  CD or C/F in LV, soleus, and AT of SHR, WKY, and SD rats was determined by analysis of randomly acquired digital images of cryosections stained with FITC-conjugated GS-I lectin. VEGF mRNA expressions in the tissues were determined by Northern blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  VEGF mRNA expressions in LV of SHR were 3.84- and 5.05-fold higher, compared to SD and WKY rats, respectively (n = 6; p < .01). There were no significant differences in VEGF mRNA expression in soleus or AT among SHR, WKY, and SD rats (p > .05). CD in LV of SHR (4975 +/- 167) was significantly higher than WKY or SD rats, 4151 +/- 169 and 3807 +/- 187 mm(-2), respectively (p < .05). In LV of SHR, C/F increased (35%) more significantly than CD (increased 20%), compared to WKY rats. CD, or C/F in soleus or AT of SHR was similar to that observed in WKY or 8D rats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VEGF expression, CD, and C/F in the heart (LV) of SHR are significantly increased, compared to WKY and SD rats. The data are consistent with the possibility that VEGF may contribute to capillary growth as a compensatory response to hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi 39216-4505, USA. jgu@physiology.umsmed.edu
authors.forename: Jian-Wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Lourdes A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Fortepiani
authors.forename: Jane F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Reckelhoff
authors.forename: Thomas H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Adair
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002196:Capillaries / Q000254:growth & development*; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000737:chemistry; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A