title: Visfatin promotes angiogenesis by activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2.
abstract: Adipose tissue is highly vascularized and requires the angiogenic properties for its mass growth. Visfatin has been recently characterized as a novel adipokine, which is preferentially produced by adipose tissue. In this study, we report that visfatin potently stimulates in vivo neovascularization in chick chorioallantoic membrane and mouse Matrigel plug. We also demonstrate that visfatin activates migration, invasion, and tube formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Moreover, visfatin evokes activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in endothelial cells, which is closely linked to angiogenesis. Inhibition of ERK activation markedly decreases visfatin-induced tube formation of HUVECs and visfatin-stimulated endothelial cell sprouting from rat aortic rings. Taken together, these results demonstrate that visfatin promotes angiogenesis via activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase ERK-dependent pathway and suggest that visfatin may play important roles in various pathophysiological angiogenesis including adipose tissue angiogenesis.
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, Pusan National University, Pusan 602-739, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Su-Ryun
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Soo-Kyung
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Kyu-Sil
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Shi-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hyung Oh
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Jun
authors.forename: Ju-Youn
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hye-Ock
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Il
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Kwon-Ha
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Yung-Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Mi-Ae
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Kyu-Won
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Moon-Kyoung
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Bae
mesh_terms: D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase; C085455:nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase, human; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3