title: Angiogenesis in pituitary adenomas: human studies and new mutant mouse models.
abstract: The role of angiogenesis in pituitary tumor development has been questioned, as pituitary tumors have been usually found to be less vascularized than the normal pituitary tissue. Nevertheless, a significantly higher degree of vasculature has been shown in invasive or macropituitary prolactinomas when compared to noninvasive and microprolactinomas. Many growth factors and their receptors are involved in pituitary tumor development. For example, VEGF, FGF-2, FGFR1, and PTTG, which give a particular vascular phenotype, are modified in human and experimental pituitary adenomas of different histotypes. In particular, vascular endothelial growth factor, VEGF, the central mediator of angiogenesis in endocrine glands, was encountered in experimental and human pituitary tumors at different levels of expression and, in particular, was higher in dopamine agonist resistant prolactinomas. Furthermore, several anti-VEGF techniques lowered tumor burden in human and experimental pituitary adenomas. Therefore, even though the role of angiogenesis in pituitary adenomas is contentious, VEGF, making permeable pituitary endothelia, might contribute to adequate temporal vascular supply and mechanisms other than endothelial cell proliferation. The study of angiogenic factor expression in aggressive prolactinomas with resistance to dopamine agonists will yield important data in the search of therapeutical alternatives.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina ; CITNOBA (CONICET-UNNOBA), Universidad Nacional del Noroeste de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Monteagudo 2772, Pergamino, 2700 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cristina
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Guillermina María
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2745-8236
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Luque
authors.affiliation: CITNOBA (CONICET-UNNOBA), Universidad Nacional del Noroeste de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Monteagudo 2772, Pergamino, 2700 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Gianina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Demarchi
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Felicitas
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lopez Vicchi
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Lautaro
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5732-2604
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zubeldia-Brenner
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Maria Ines
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Perez Millan
authors.affiliation: CITNOBA (CONICET-UNNOBA), Universidad Nacional del Noroeste de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Monteagudo 2772, Pergamino, 2700 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perrone
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ornstein
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Isabel M
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2547-3819
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Lacau-Mengido
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurocirugía, Clínica Santa Isabel, Avenida Directorio 2037, C1406GZJ Buenos Aires, Argentina ; Servicio de Neurocirugía, Hospital Santa Lucía, Avenida San Juan 2021, C1232AAC Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Silvia Inés
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Berner
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Damasia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Becu-Villalobos