title: Impaired autonomic regulation of resistance arteries in mice with low vascular endothelial growth factor or upon vascular endothelial growth factor trap delivery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Control of peripheral resistance arteries by autonomic nerves is essential for the regulation of blood flow. The signals responsible for the maintenance of vascular neuroeffector mechanisms in the adult, however, remain largely unknown.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Here, we report that VEGF( partial differential/ partial differential) mice with low vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels suffer defects in the regulation of resistance arteries. These defects are due to dysfunction and structural remodeling of the neuroeffector junction, the equivalent of a synapse between autonomic nerve endings and vascular smooth muscle cells, and to an impaired contractile smooth muscle cell phenotype. Notably, short-term delivery of a VEGF inhibitor to healthy mice also resulted in functional and structural defects of neuroeffector junctions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings uncover a novel role for VEGF in the maintenance of arterial neuroeffector function and may help us better understand how VEGF inhibitors cause vascular regulation defects in cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Vesalius Research Center, KU Leuven and VIB, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Storkebaum
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ruiz de Almodovar
authors.forename: Merlijn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meens
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zacchigna
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mazzone
authors.forename: Greet
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vanhoutte
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vinckier
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miskiewicz
authors.forename: Koen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Poesen
authors.forename: Diether
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lambrechts
authors.forename: Ger M J
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.forename: Gregorio E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Fazzi
authors.forename: Patrik
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Verstreken
authors.forename: Jody
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haigh
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Schiffers
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rohrer
authors.forename: Annemie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Van der Linden
authors.forename: Jo G R
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: De Mey
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carmeliet
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D007763:Lac Operon; D008638:Mesenteric Arteries / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C467480:vascular endothelial growth factor A, mouse; C501163:Flt1 protein, mouse; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2