title: Vascular endothelial growth factor-D transgenic mice show enhanced blood capillary density, improved postischemic muscle regeneration, and increased susceptibility to tumor formation.
abstract: Vascular endothelial growth factor-D (VEGF-D) has angiogenic and lymphangiogenic activity, but its biologic role has remained unclear because knockout mice showed no clear phenotype. Transgenic (TG) mice expressing the mature form of human VEGF-D (hVEGF-D) were produced by lentiviral (LV) transgenesis using the perivitelline injection method. Several viable founders showed a macroscopically normal phenotype and the transgene transmitted through germ line. Expression of hVEGF-D mRNA was high in skeletal muscles, skin, pancreas, heart, and spleen. A significant increase was found in capillary density of skeletal muscles and myocardium, whereas no changes were observed in lymphatic capillary density. After induction of hindlimb ischemia, the TG mice showed enhanced capacity for muscle regeneration. However, on aging the TG mice had significantly increased mortality from malignant tumors, of which half were breast adenocarcinomas characterized with the absence of periductal muscle cells. Some tumors metastasized into the lungs. In addition, lung and skin tumors were found, but no blood- or lymphatic vessel-derived malignancies were detected. We conclude that in mice hVEGF-D is an angiogenic factor associated with improved muscle regeneration after ischemic injury but also with increased incidence of tumor formation with a preference for mammary gland tumors.
authors.affiliation: A.I. Virtanen Institute, Department of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Anna-Mari
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kärkkäinen
authors.forename: Antti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kotimaa
authors.forename: Jenni
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huusko
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kholova
authors.forename: Suvi Elina
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Heinonen
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stefanska
authors.forename: Marike Hinke
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Dijkstra
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Purhonen
authors.forename: Eveliina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hämäläinen
authors.forename: Petri Ilmari
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Mäkinen
authors.forename: Mikko Petri
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Turunen
authors.forename: Seppo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ylä-Herttuala
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002196:Capillaries / Q000166:cytology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007511:Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism*; D016086:Lentivirus / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012038:Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015996:Survival Rate; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D042643:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042643:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D