Endothelial cells are activated by angiopoeitin-1 gene transfer and produce coordinated sprouting in vitro and arteriogenesis in vivo
- Resource Type
- Article
- Authors
- Gluzman, Zoya; Koren, Belly; Preis, Meir; Cohen, Tzafra; Tsaba, Adili; Cosset, Francois-Loic; Shofti, Rona; Lewis, Basil S.; Virmani, Renu; Flugelman, Moshe Y.
- Source
- Biochemical & Biophysical Research Communications. Jul2007, Vol. 359 Issue 2, p263-268. 6p.
- Subject
- *CELLS
*VASCULAR endothelial growth factors
*GENETIC transformation
*BLOOD cells
- Language
- ISSN
- 0006-291X
Abstract: Rational and objectives: Activation of fully differentiated vascular cells using angiogenic genes can lead to phenotypic changes resulting in formation of new blood vessels. We tested whether Ang-1 gene transfer to endothelial cells (EC) activates these cells. Methods and results: EC and SMC were transduced using retroviral or adenoviral vectors to produce Ang-1 or vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). EC Tie-2 receptor was phosphorilated by autologous secretion of Ang-1. Transduced EC and SMC sprouting capacity was tested using collagen embedded spheroids assay and capacity to produce arteriogenesis was tested in a hind limb model of ischemia. EC expressing Ang-1 in the presence of SMC expressing VEGF exhibited high levels of sprouting of the two cell types. Flow and numbers of arteries were increased after transduced cells implantation in vivo. Conclusions: Autologous secretion of Ang-1 by transduced EC resulted in Tie-2 activation and in the presence of SMC expressing VEGF resulted in coordinated sprouting in vitro and increase in flow and number of arteries in vivo. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]