title: N-CAM exhibits a regulatory function in pathological angiogenesis in oxygen induced retinopathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy of prematurity are diseases caused by pathological angiogenesis in the retina as a consequence of local hypoxia. The underlying mechanism for epiretinal neovascularization (tuft formation), which contributes to blindness, has yet to be identified. Neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) is expressed by Müller cells and astrocytes, which are in close contact with the retinal vasculature, during normal developmental angiogenesis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Notably, during oxygen induced retinopathy (OIR) N-CAM accumulated on astrocytes surrounding the epiretinal tufts. Here, we show that N-CAM ablation results in reduced vascular tuft formation due to reduced endothelial cell proliferation despite an elevation in VEGFA mRNA expression, whereas retinal developmental angiogenesis was unaffected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that N-CAM exhibits a regulatory function in pathological angiogenesis in OIR. This is a novel finding that can be of clinical relevance in diseases associated with proliferative vasculopathy.
authors: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Sahlgrenska Academy at Gothenburg University, Göteborg, Sweden.
authors: Joakim
authors: J
authors: Håkansson
authors: Anders
authors: A
authors: Ståhlberg
authors: Fredrik
authors: F
authors: Wolfhagen Sand
authors: Holger
authors: H
authors: Gerhardt
authors: Henrik
authors: H
authors: Semb
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000209:etiology*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000150:complications*; D051379:Mice; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D015861:Retinal Neovascularization; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A