title: Angiogenesis in Balb/c mice under beta-carotene supplementation in diet.
abstract: Angiogenesis is a process of new blood vessel formation from pre-existing ones. The most important steps in angiogenesis include detachment, proliferation, migration, homing and differentiation of vascular wall cells, which are mainly endothelial cells and their progenitors. The study focused on the effect of beta-carotene (BC) supplementation (12,000 mg/kg) in the diet on angiogenesis in Balb/c mice. Female Balb/c mice were fed for 5 weeks with two different diets: with BC or without BC supplementation. After 4 weeks of feeding, Balb/c mice were injected subcutaneously with two matrigel plugs with or without basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Six days later, the animals were killed, and the matrigel plugs were used for immunohistochemical staining with CD31 antibody and for gene expression analysis. Microarray and Real-Time PCR data showed down-regulation of genes involved in proliferation and up-regulation of genes encoding inhibitors of apoptosis, proteins regulating cell adhesion, matrix-degrading enzymes and proteins involved in the VEGF pathway. The results of this study demonstrated that BC proangiogenic activity (with or without bFGF) in vivo seemed to be more significantly associated with cells' protection from apoptosis and their stimulation of chemotaxis/homing than cell proliferation.
authors: Urszula
authors: U
authors: Razny
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Polus
authors: Beata
authors: B
authors: Kiec-Wilk
authors: Lukasz
authors: L
authors: Wator
authors: Jadwiga
authors: J
authors: Hartwich
authors: Jerzy
authors: J
authors: Stachura
authors: Romana
authors: R
authors: Tomaszewska
authors: Grzegorz
authors: G
authors: Dyduch
authors: Piotr
authors: P
authors: Laidler
authors: Gerd
authors: G
authors: Schmitz
authors: Regina
authors: R
authors: Goralczyk
authors: Karin
authors: K
authors: Wertz
authors: George
authors: G
authors: Riss
authors: Nicole L W
authors: NL
authors: Franssen-van Hal
authors: Jaap
authors: J
authors: Keijer
authors: Aldona
authors: A
authors: Dembinska-Kiec