Expression profile of total VEGF, VEGF splice variants and VEGF receptors in the myocardium and arterial vasculature of diabetic and non-diabetic patients with coronary artery disease.
BACKGROUND
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a key regulator of angiogenesis and is implicated in the development of diabetic microvascular and macrovascular disease.


METHODS
The expression of total VEGF, VEGF splice variants (VEGF(121), VEGF(145), VEGF(148), VEGF(165), VEGF(183) and VEGF(189)), VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2, was investigated in biopsies from the right atrium and left internal mammary artery (LIMA) of 32 non-diabetic and 20 diabetic patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.


RESULTS
Diabetes was independently negatively correlated to total VEGF mRNA expression in atrium. Total VEGF, VEGF(121) and VEGF(165) mRNA levels were upregulated in the LIMA of diabetics vs. non-diabetics. The expression of VEGF receptors in atrium and LIMA was similar between these groups. VEGF(121) and VEGF(165) were the major variants expressed, followed by VEGF(189) and VEGF(183), while VEGF(148) and VEGF(145) were detected in small amounts. The expression profile of VEGF splice variants displayed significant heterogeneity between the examined tissues.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first study to quantify VEGF splice variants expression in cardiac and vascular tissue. Our results could help elucidate the role of VEGF splice variants in diabetic complications.
Zygalaki
Eleni
E
Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Athens, 15771, Athens, Greece.
Kaklamanis
Loukas
L
Nikolaou
Nikolaos I
NI
Kyrzopoulos
Stamatis
S
Houri
Mazen
M
Kyriakides
Zenon
Z
Lianidou
Evi S
ES
Kremastinos
Dimitrios Th
DT
D000368:Aged; D017398:Alternative Splicing / Q000502:physiology; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000378:metabolism*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000235:genetics; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008323:Mammary Arteries / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor