title: Presence of bone marrow-derived circulating progenitor endothelial cells in the newly formed lymphatic vessels.
abstract: Bone marrow (BM)-derived circulating endothelial precursor cells (CEPCs) have been reported to incorporate into newly formed blood vessels under physiologic and pathologic conditions. However, it is unknown if CEPCs contribute to lymphangiogenesis. Here we show that in a corneal lymphangiogenesis model of irradiated mice reconstituted with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-positive donor bone marrow cells, CEPCs are present in the newly formed lymphatic vessels. Depletion of bone marrow cells by irradiation remarkably suppressed lymphangiogenesis in corneas implanted with fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2). Further, transplantation of isolated EGFP-positive/vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3-positive (EGFP+/VEGFR-3+) or EGFP+/VEGFR-2+ cell populations resulted in incorporation of EGFP+ cells into the newly formed lymphatic vessels. EGFP+/CEPCs were also present in peritumoral lymphatic vessels of a fibrosarcoma. These data suggest that BM-derived CEPCs may play a role in "lymphvasculogenesis."
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Angiogenesis Research, Microbiology and Tumor Biology Center, Karolinska Institutet, Nobelsväg 16, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden. piotr.religa@mtc.ki.se
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Religa
authors.forename: Renhai
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Meit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bjorndahl
authors.forename: Zhongjun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Zhenping
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Yihai
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D042601:Lymphatic Vessels / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006023:Glycoproteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; C492273:LYVE1 protein, mouse; C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein