title: Carboxyethylpyrrole oxidative protein modifications stimulate neovascularization: Implications for age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: Choroidal neovascularization (CNV), the advanced stage of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), accounts for >80% of vision loss in AMD. Carboxyethylpyrrole (CEP) protein modifications, uniquely generated from oxidation of docosahexaenoate-containing lipids, are more abundant in Bruch's membrane from AMD eyes. We tested the hypothesis that CEP protein adducts stimulate angiogenesis and possibly contribute to CNV in AMD. Human serum albumin (HSA) or acetyl-Gly-Lys-O-methyl ester (dipeptide) were chemically modified to yield CEP-modified HSA (CEP-HSA) or CEP-dipeptide. The in vivo angiogenic properties of CEP-HSA and CEP-dipeptide were demonstrated by using the chick chorioallantoic membrane and rat corneal micropocket assays. Low picomole amounts of CEP-HSA and CEP-dipeptide stimulated neovascularization. Monoclonal anti-CEP antibody neutralized limbal vessel growth stimulated by CEP-HSA, whereas anti-VEGF antibody was found to only partially neutralize vessel growth. Subretinal injections of CEP-modified mouse serum albumin exacerbated laser-induced CNV in mice. In vitro treatments of human retinal pigment epithelial cells with CEP-dipeptide or CEP-HSA did not induce increased VEGF secretion. Overall, these results suggest that CEP-induced angiogenesis utilizes VEGF-independent pathways and that anti-CEP therapeutic modalities might be of value in limiting CNV in AMD.
authors.affiliation: Cole Eye Institute and Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, and Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
authors.forename: Quteba
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ebrahem
authors.forename: Kutralanathan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Renganathan
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sears
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vasanji
authors.forename: Xiaorong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Salomon
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Crabb
authors.forename: Bela
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Anand-Apte
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000482:Allantois / Q000098:blood supply; D000818:Animals; D016570:Bruch Membrane / Q000737:chemistry; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002648:Child; D002823:Chorion / Q000098:blood supply; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D017075:Laser Coagulation; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008875:Middle Aged; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000737:chemistry; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011758:Pyrroles; D012709:Serum Albumin; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A