Enhanced expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3 in the subventricular zone of stroke-lesioned rats.
Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-3, a receptor for VEGF-C and VEGF-D, has recently been proposed to be involved in adult hippocampal neurogenesis in response to cerebral ischemia. To identify whether VEGFR-3 is involved in poststroke neurogenesis, we investigated the temporal regulation of VEGFR-3 mRNA expression in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of rats with transient focal cerebral ischemia by in situ hybridization analysis, and identified the phenotypes of cells expressing VEGFR-3 by double- and triple-labeling techniques. In sham-operated rats, hybridization signals for VEGFR-3 mRNA were evident at a weaker intensity in the SVZ of the lateral ventricle. VEGFR-3 was transiently increased in the dorsolateral SVZ of the infarcted hemisphere on days 3-7 after reperfusion. Almost all VEGFR-3-expressing cells in the ipsilateral SVZ were colabeled with glial fibrillary acidic protein and the neural progenitor marker nestin, and were highly proliferative. In addition, a subset of VEGFR-3-labeled cells in the ipsilateral SVZ expressed the immature neuronal marker, polysialic acid-neural cell adhesion molecule. These data indicate that VEGFR-3 is upregulated in SVZ astrocytes and immature neurons after focal ischemia, suggesting that VEGFR-3 might mediate the adult neurogenesis after ischemic stroke.
Shin
Yoo-Jin
YJ
Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 505 Banpo-dong, Socho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea.
Choi
Jeong-Sun
JS
Choi
Jae-Youn
JY
Cha
Jung-Ho
JH
Chun
Myung-Hoon
MH
Lee
Mun-Yong
MY
D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D064231:Nestin; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism; D055495:Neurogenesis; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D055153:Stem Cell Niche / Q000378:metabolism*; D020521:Stroke / Q000378:metabolism*; D040321:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3 / Q000378:metabolism*
D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C577486:Nes protein, rat; D064231:Nestin; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012794:Sialic Acids; C021319:polysialic acid; D040321:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3