title: Regulation of blood vessels by prolactin and vasoinhibins.
abstract: Prolactin (PRL) stimulates the growth of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) either directly through actions on endothelial cells or indirectly by upregulating proangiogenic factors like vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Moreover, PRL acquires antiangiogenic properties after undergoing proteolytic cleavage to vasoinhibins, a family of PRL fragments (including 16 kDa PRL) with potent antiangiogenic, vasoconstrictive, and antivasopermeability effects. In view of the opposing actions of PRL and vasoinhibins, the regulation of the proteases responsible for specific PRL cleavage represents an efficient mechanism for controlling blood vessel growth and function. This review briefly describes the vascular actions of PRL and vasoinhibins, and addresses how their interplay could help drive biological effects of PRL in the context of health and disease.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus UNAM-Juriquilla, 76230, Querétaro, QRO, México, clapp@unam.mx.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Clapp
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thebault
authors.forename: Yazmín
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Macotela
authors.forename: Bibiana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Moreno-Carranza
authors.forename: Jakob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Triebel
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martínez de la Escalera
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D042361:Mammary Glands, Human / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology; D011388:Prolactin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011388:Prolactin