Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor gene therapy attenuates lung injury and fibrosis in mice.
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an angiogenesis factor with proinflammatory roles. Flt-1 is one of the specific receptors for VEGF, and soluble flt-1 (sflt-1) binds to VEGF and competitively inhibits it from binding to the receptors. We examined the role of VEGF in the pathophysiology of bleomycin-induced pneumopathy in mice, using a new therapeutic strategy that comprises transfection of the sflt-1 gene into skeletal muscles as a biofactory for anti-VEGF therapy. The serum levels of sflt-1 were significantly increased at 3-14 days after the gene transfer. Transfection of the sflt-1 gene at 3 days before or 7 days after the intratracheal instillation of bleomycin decreased the number of inflammatory cells, the protein concentration in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and with von Willebrand factor expression at 14 days. Transfection of the sflt-1 gene also attenuated pulmonary fibrosis and apoptosis at 14 days. Since the inflammatory cell infiltration begins at 3 days and is followed by interstitial fibrosis, it is likely that VEGF has important roles as a proinflammatory, a permeability-inducing, and an angiogenesis factor not only in the early inflammatory phase but also in the late fibrotic phase. Furthermore, this method may be beneficial for treating lung injury and fibrosis from the viewpoint of clinical application, since it does not require the use of a viral vector or neutralizing Ab.
Research Institute for Diseases of the Chest, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
Naoki
N
Hamada
Kazuyoshi
K
Kuwano
Mizuho
M
Yamada
Naoki
N
Hagimoto
Kenichi
K
Hiasa
Kensuke
K
Egashira
Nobutaka
N
Nakashima
Takashige
T
Maeyama
Michihiro
M
Yoshimi
Yoichi
Y
Nakanishi
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D002452:Cell Count; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D007700:Kinetics; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains; D024501:Nonmuscle Myosin Type IIB; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D014162:Transfection; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1
D016207:Cytokines; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D001761:Bleomycin; C501163:Flt1 protein, mouse; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1; D024501:Nonmuscle Myosin Type IIB; C103815:nonmuscle myosin type IIB heavy chain; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains