The use of a whole animal biophotonic model as a screen for the angiogenic potential of estrogenic compounds.
BACKGROUND
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is essential for normal vascular growth and development during wound repair. VEGF is estrogen responsive and capable of regulating its own receptor, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2). Several agricultural pesticides (e.g., methoxychlor) have estrogenic potential that can initiate inappropriate physiological responses in estrogenic-sensitive tissues following exposure in vivo. Thus, the current study was designed to determine whether the VEGFR-2-Luciferase (Luc) reporter transgenic mouse is a useful model for evaluating estrogenic tendencies of methoxychlor by monitoring wound healing via VEGFR-2-mediated gene expression using bioluminescence and real-time imaging technology.


RESULTS
VEGFR-2-Luc gene activity peaked by d 7 (P<0.001) in all groups but was not different (P>0.05) between control and estrogen/methoxychlor exposed mice.


CONCLUSIONS
Changes in VEGFR-2-Luc gene activity associated with the dermal wound healing process were able to be measured via photonic emission. The increase in vasculature recruitment and formation is paralleled by the increase of VEGFR-2-Luc activity with a peak on day 7. However, estrogen/methoxychlor did not significantly alter wound healing mediated VEGFR-2-Luc gene expression patterns compared to controls. This suggests that the VEGFR-2-Luc transgenic mouse wound model tested in this study may not be optimal for use as a screen for the angiogenic potential of estrogenic compounds.
1. Facility of Organismal and Cellular Imaging, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA; ; 2. Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA;
Ramey C
RC
Youngblood
5. Department of Animal and Veterinary Science, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA.
Marcus
M
McGee
1. Facility of Organismal and Cellular Imaging, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA; ; 2. Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA;
Jean M
JM
Feugang
1. Facility of Organismal and Cellular Imaging, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA; ; 4. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Soil Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA;
Scott T
ST
Willard
1. Facility of Organismal and Cellular Imaging, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA; ; 2. Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA; ; 3. Department of Pathology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA;
Peter L
PL
Ryan
D000818:Animals; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000473:pathology; D004967:Estrogens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D008731:Methoxychlor / Q000008:administration & dosage; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D017785:Photons; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000235:genetics*; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*
D004967:Estrogens; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C467480:vascular endothelial growth factor A, mouse; C000592875:Kdr protein, mouse; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2; D008731:Methoxychlor
Biophotonics; Methoxychlor; Real-Time Imaging; VEGF; VEGFR-2; Wound Healing.