title: Acute ethanol exposure disrupts VEGF receptor cell signaling in endothelial cells.
abstract: Physiological angiogenesis is regulated by various factors, including signaling through vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors. We previously reported that a single dose of ethanol (1.4 g/kg), yielding a blood alcohol concentration of 100 mg/dl, significantly impairs angiogenesis in murine wounds, despite adequate levels of VEGF, suggesting direct effects of ethanol on endothelial cell signaling (40). To examine the mechanism by which ethanol influences angiogenesis in wounds, we employed two different in vitro angiogenesis assays to determine whether acute ethanol exposure (100 mg/dl) would have long-lasting effects on VEGF-induced capillary network formation. Ethanol exposure resulted in reduced VEGF-induced cord formation on collagen and reduced capillary network structure on Matrigel in vitro. In addition, ethanol exposure decreased expression of endothelial VEGF receptor-2, as well as VEGF receptor-2 phosphorylation in vitro. Inhibition of ethanol metabolism by 4-methylpyrazole partially abrogated the effect of ethanol on endothelial cell cord formation. However, mice treated with t-butanol, an alcohol not metabolized by alcohol dehydrogenase, exhibited no change in wound vascularity. These results suggest that products of ethanol metabolism are important factors in the development of ethanol-induced changes in endothelial cell responsiveness to VEGF. In vivo, ethanol exposure caused both decreased angiogenesis and increased hypoxia in wounds. Moreover, in vitro experiments demonstrated a direct effect of ethanol on the response to hypoxia in endothelial cells, as ethanol diminished nuclear hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha protein levels. Together, the data establish that acute ethanol exposure significantly impairs angiogenesis and suggest that this effect is mediated by changes in endothelial cell responsiveness to both VEGF and hypoxia.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: Katherine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Radek
authors.forename: Elizabeth J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Kovacs
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.forename: Luisa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: DiPietro
mesh_terms: D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D015687:Cell Hypoxia; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D000077604:Fomepizole; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011720:Pyrazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D013997:Time Factors; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*; D020002:tert-Butyl Alcohol / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; C497443:Hif1a protein, mouse; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D011720:Pyrazoles; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C467480:vascular endothelial growth factor A, mouse; D000431:Ethanol; D000077604:Fomepizole; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2; D020002:tert-Butyl Alcohol