title: Vascular endothelial growth factor-a in lactobacillus casei cell wall extract-induced coronary arteritis of a murine model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is associated with Kawasaki disease (KD), the most commonly acquired heart disease in developed countries. This study investigated the involvement of VEGF-A expression and its related signaling pathway in Lactobacillus casei cell wall extract (LCWE)-induced murine coronary artery lesions (CALs), and analyzed this in regard to the inhibition of CALs by spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Wild-type BALB/C mice were intraperitoneally injected with LCWE (1mg/ml) to induce CALs. The aortic roots, ventricular myocardium, peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs), spleen, liver, kidneys, and lungs were analyzed for VEGF-A expression. Phosphate buffered saline (PBS)-, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-, and zymosan-treated mice served as controls, and an oral Syk inhibitor served as an arteritis-ameliorated reagent. In aortic roots and PBLs, LCWE induced an early upregulation and a late downregulation of VEGF-A expression. No differential VEGF-A expression was observed in the other organs. Most importantly, Syk inhibition significantly attenuated the LCWE-induced expression of VEGF-A, dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH)-1, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase in aortic roots. However, LCWE-induced aortic DDAH-2 expression remained higher, despite Syk inhibition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Local VEGF-A and its signaling pathway are associated with the development of LCWE-induced CALs. Therefore, the clinical correlation between VEGF and human KD and the role of the VEGF-A regulation and signaling pathway in murine CALs warrant further investigation.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine.
authors: I-Chun
authors: IC
authors: Lin
authors: Jiunn-Ming
authors: JM
authors: Sheen
authors: You-Lin
authors: YL
authors: Tain
authors: Ming-Huei
authors: MH
authors: Chou
authors: Li-Tung
authors: LT
authors: Huang
authors: Kuender D
authors: KD
authors: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001167:Arteritis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism*; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000737:chemistry*; D045424:Complex Mixtures / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000151:congenital / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007780:Lacticaseibacillus casei / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009080:Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D045424:Complex Mixtures; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C467480:vascular endothelial growth factor A, mouse