title: VEGF concentration from plasma-activated platelets rich correlates with microvascular density and grading in canine mast cell tumour spontaneous model.
abstract: Canine cutaneous mast cell tumour (CMCT) is a common cutaneous tumour in dog, with a higher incidence than in human. CMCT is classified in three subgroups, well and intermediately differentiated (G1 and G2), corresponding to a benign disease, and poorly differentiated (G3), corresponding to a malignant disease, which metastasize to lymph nodes, liver, spleen and bone marrow. In this study, we have evaluated serum (S), platelet-poor plasma (P-PP), plasma-activated platelet rich (P-APR) and cytosol vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentrations, microvascular density (MVD) and mast cell density (MCD) in a series of 86 CMCTs and we have correlated these parameters with each other, by means of ELISA detection of VEGF and immunohistochemistry. Results show that VEGF level from cytosol P-APR and MVD were significantly higher in G3 CMCTs as compared to G1 or G2 subgroups. Moreover, a significantly strong correlation among VEGF levels from P-PAR and cytosol, MVD and MCD was found in G3 subgroup. Because VEGF levels from P-APR well correlated with MVD and malignancy grade in CMCT, we suggest that VEGF might be secreted from MCs and it may be a suitable surrogate inter-species angiogenetic markers of tumour progression in CMCT. Finally, CMCT seems to be a useful model to study the role of MCs in tumour angiogenesis and inhibition of MCs degranulation or activation might be a new anti-angiogenic strategy worthy to further investigations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Health and Well-Being, University of Bari Veterinary Medical School, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Patruno
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arpaia
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Gadaleta
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Passantino
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zizzo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Misino
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Lucarelli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Catino
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Valerio
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ribatti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ranieri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D008415:Mastocytosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D055806:Microvessels / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism; D053657:Platelet-Rich Plasma / Q000378:metabolism*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A