Vascular endothelial growth factor-B and retinal vascular development in the mouse


Autoria(s): Reichelt, M.; Shi, S. N.; Hayes, M.; Kay, G.; Batch, J.; Gole, G. A.; Browning, J.
Data(s)

01/02/2003

Resumo

Purpose: Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) is crucial to retinal vascular growth, both normal and pathological. VEGF-B, recently characterized, is reported to be expressed in retinal tissues, but the importance of VEGF-B to retinal vascular development remained unknown. The aim of this study was to analyse retinal vascular growth in the Vegfb (-/-) knockout mouse. Methods: Retinal vascular growth was measured in Vegfb (-/-) knockout mice raised under normal conditions, and Vegfb (-/-) knockout mice with an oxygen-induced proliferative retinopathy. Wild type Vegfb (+/+) mice served as controls. Vessels were perfused with ink and retinal flatmounts secondarily labelled with FITC-lectin (BS-1, Griffonia simplicifolia ). Area and diameter of retinal growth and retinal vascular growth were recorded over days 0-20, and capillary density and mean diameter recorded from day 17 pups. Results: A variety of techniques confirmed that Vegfb (+/+) mice expressed VEGF-B and that VEGF-B expression was absent in Vegfb (-/-) mice. Vegfb (-/-) mice raised in room air showed no significant differences from Vegfb (+/+) controls. No differences were found in oxygen-induced retinopathy between Vegfb (-/-) and Vegfb (+/+) pups in either the extent of the initial oxygen-induced ablation, or in the regrowth of retinal vessels or vitreal (neovascular) sprouts; vitreal sprouts are important markers of the abnormal proliferative response, and are maximally expressed on day 17 in this model of oxygen-induced retinopathy. Conclusions: These results indicate that a lack of VEGF-B does not significantly affect development of the retinal vasculature under normal conditions, nor does it appear to affect the proliferative retinal responses seen in oxygen-induced retinopathy.

Identificador

http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:67579

Idioma(s)

eng

Publicador

Blackwell Publishing Asia

Palavras-Chave #Ophthalmology #Knockout Mouse #Oxygen-induced Retinopathy #Retina #Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor #Vasculature #Vegf-b #Expression #Gene #Hypoxia #Cells #C1 #320900 Optometry #730111 Hearing, vision, speech and their disorders
Tipo

Journal Article