Abstract
Purpose: :
To investigate the differential expression of pro-angiogenic factors in physiological and pathological angiogenesis of the retina
Methods: :
On post-natal (P) P7, P14, and P18 of control mice, and P14, and P18 of oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) mice, the eyes were enucleated. The vascular formation in the physiological and pathological angiogenesis of the retina was evaluated through flourescein angiography using FITC-dextran. Immunohistochemistry for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-B, insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1/-2, and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) was performed on cross-sections of the control and OIR retina. In addition, western blot analysis for each factor was done using whole retina.
Results: :
In the control retina, VEGF and PDGF-B were primarily expressed on endothelial cells (ECs) of retinal vessels. Although the expressions of FGF-2, IGF-1/-2 and HGF were also detected on ECs, the immunereactivities were very weak. Interestingly, the expression of IGF-2 was confined to the endothelial cells of retinal vessels as our previous report. In OIR, the immunereactivities of VEGF, PDGF-B, and HGF were increased, however other factors showed no definite change in the immunoreactivities.
Conclusions: :
Our data suggests that the physiological and pathological angiogenesis of the retina might be dependent on the differential expression of pro-angiogenic factors in the retina.
Keywords: retinal neovascularization • growth factors/growth factor receptors • neovascularization