title: Impaired angiogenic response in the corneas of mice lacking osteopontin.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of loss of osteopontin (OPN) in the development of neovascularization in corneal stroma in mice. Cell culture study was also conducted to clarify the effects of OPN in transforming growth factor (TGF) beta1-driven cell signaling and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).
  
  
  METHODS
  Ocular fibroblasts from wild-type and OPN-null mice were used to study the role of OPN in TGFbeta1 signal and VEGF expression. The effect of the absence of OPN on corneal neovascularization was evaluated in mice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In ocular fibroblast culture, loss of OPN attenuated TGFbeta1 signals (Smad3 and p38) and reduced expression of VEGF. Loss of OPN attenuated neovascularization in corneal stroma in mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OPN is involved in VEGF expression in cultured fibroblasts and is required for neovascularization in corneal stroma in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Wakayama Medical University, Kimiidera, Wakayama, Japan. norihito@wakayama-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Norihito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Shuko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Yuka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Ai
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kitano
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yamanaka
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.forename: Shigeyuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kon
authors.forename: Toshimitsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uede
authors.forename: Susan R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Rittling
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Denhardt
authors.forename: Shizuya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saika
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003315:Cornea / Q000166:cytology; D016510:Corneal Neovascularization / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000098:blood supply; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D053495:Osteopontin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C506896:Spp1 protein, mouse; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C467480:vascular endothelial growth factor A, mouse; D053495:Osteopontin