scholarly journals miR-129-5p and miR-130a-3p Regulate VEGFR-2 Expression in Sensory and Motor Neurons during Development

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. 3839 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Glaesel ◽  
Caroline May ◽  
Katrin Marcus ◽  
Veronika Matschke ◽  
Carsten Theiss ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dorsal Root Ganglia ◽  
Motor Neurons ◽  
Dorsal Root ◽  
Neurological Diseases ◽  
Neuronal Cell ◽  
Vegf Receptor ◽  
Vascular Endothelial ◽  
Expression Control ◽  
Endothelial Growth Factor

The wide-ranging influence of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) within the central (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS), for example through effects on axonal growth or neuronal cell survival, is mainly mediated by VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2). However, the regulation of VEGFR-2 expression during development is not yet well understood. As microRNAs are considered to be key players during neuronal maturation and regenerative processes, we identified the two microRNAs (miRNAs)—miR-129-5p and miR-130a-3p—that may have an impact on VEGFR-2 expression in young and mature sensory and lower motor neurons. The expression level of VEGFR-2 was analyzed by using in situ hybridization, RT-qPCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry in developing rats. microRNAs were validated within the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia. To unveil the molecular impact of our candidate microRNAs, dissociated cell cultures of sensory and lower motor neurons were transfected with mimics and inhibitors. We depicted age-dependent VEGFR-2 expression in sensory and lower motor neurons. In detail, in lower motor neurons, VEGFR-2 expression was significantly reduced during maturation, in conjunction with an increased level of miR-129-5p. In sensory dorsal root ganglia, VEGFR-2 expression increased during maturation and was accompanied by an overexpression of miR-130a-3p. In a second step, the functional significance of these microRNAs with respect to VEGFR-2 expression was proven. Whereas miR-129-5p seems to decrease VEGFR-2 expression in a direct manner in the CNS, miR-130a-3p might indirectly control VEGFR-2 expression in the PNS. A detailed understanding of genetic VEGFR-2 expression control might promote new strategies for the treatment of severe neurological diseases like ischemia or peripheral nerve injury.

scholarly journals Notochord grafts do not suppress formation of neural crest cells or commissural neurons

Development ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 116 (4) ◽  
pp. 877-886 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.B. Artinger ◽  
M. Bronner-Fraser
Keyword(s):  
Neural Crest ◽  
Dorsal Root Ganglia ◽  
Motor Neurons ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Dorsal Root ◽  
Neuronal Cell ◽  
Neural Crest Cells ◽  
Floor Plate ◽  
Commissural Neurons ◽  
Neuronal Cell Bodies

Grafting experiments previously have established that the notochord affects dorsoventral polarity of the neural tube by inducing the formation of ventral structures such as motor neurons and the floor plate. Here, we examine if the notochord inhibits formation of dorsal structures by grafting a notochord within or adjacent to the dorsal neural tube prior to or shortly after tube closure. In all cases, neural crest cells emigrated from the neural tube adjacent to the ectopic notochord. When analyzed at stages after ganglion formation, the dorsal root ganglia appeared reduced in size and shifted in position in embryos receiving grafts. Another dorsal cell type, commissural neurons, identified by CRABP and neurofilament immunoreactivity, differentiated in the vicinity of the ectopic notochord. Numerous neuronal cell bodies and axonal processes were observed within the induced, but not endogenous, floor plate 1 to 2 days after implantation but appeared to be cleared with time. These results suggest that dorsally implanted notochords cannot prevent the formation of neural crest cells or commissural neurons, but can alter the size and position of neural crest-derived dorsal root ganglia.

scholarly journals Inhibiting Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Injured Intervertebral Discs Attenuates Pain-Related Neuropeptide Expression in Dorsal Root Ganglia in Rats

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 556-561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Sato ◽  
Kazuhide Inage ◽  
Masayuki Miyagi ◽  
Yoshihiro Sakuma ◽  
Kazuyo Yamauchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Intervertebral Disc ◽  
Dorsal Root Ganglia ◽  
Dorsal Root ◽  
Sham Group ◽  
Vascular Endothelial ◽  
Anti Vegf ◽  
Intradiscal Injection ◽  
Endothelial Growth Factor

<sec><title>Study Design</title><p>An experimental animal study.</p></sec><sec><title>Purpose</title><p>To evaluate effects of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on the content and distribution of the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in the dorsal ganglia in a rat model.</p></sec><sec><title>Overview of Literature</title><p>Increased expression of VEGF in degenerative disc disease increases the levels of inflammatory cytokines and nerve ingrowth into the damaged discs. In animal models, increased levels of VEGF can persist for up to 2 weeks after an injury.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>Through abdominal surgery, the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) innervating L5/L6 intervertebral disc were labeled (FluoroGold neurotracer) in 24, 8-week old Sprague Dawley rats. The rats were randomly allocated to three groups of eight rats each. The anti-VEGF group underwent L5/6 intervertebral disc puncture using a 26-gauge needle, intradiscal injection of 33.3 µg of the pegaptanib sodium, a VEGF165 aptamer. The control-puncture group underwent disc puncture and intradiscal injection of 10 µL saline solution, and the sham-surgery group underwent labeling but no disc puncture. Two rats in each group were sacrificed on postoperative days 1, 7, 14, and 28 after surgery. L1–L6 DRGs were harvested, sectioned, and immunostained to detect the content and distribution of CGRP.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Compared with the control, the percentage of CGRP-positive cells was lower in the anti-VEGF group (<italic>p</italic>&lt;0.05; 40.6% and 58.1% on postoperative day 1, 44.3% and 55.4% on day 7, and 42.4% and 59.3% on day 14). The percentage was higher in the control group compared with that of the sham group (<italic>p</italic>&lt;0.05; sham group, 34.1%, 40.7%, and 33.7% on postoperative days 1, 7, and 14, respectively).</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusions</title><p>Decreasing CGRP-positive cells using anti-VEGF therapy provides fundamental evidence for a possible therapeutic role of anti-VEGF in patients with discogenic lower back pain.</p></sec>

The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/VEGF receptor system and its role under physiological and pathological conditions

2005 ◽  
Vol 109 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroyuki Takahashi ◽  
Masabumi Shibuya
Keyword(s):  
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Motor Neurons ◽  
Neuroprotective Effect ◽  
Single Gene ◽  
Vegf Receptor ◽  
Vascular Endothelial ◽  
Receptor System ◽  
Pathological Conditions ◽  
Endothelial Growth Factor

The VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) family and its receptors are essential regulators of angiogenesis and vascular permeability. Currently, the VEGF family consists of VEGF-A, PlGF (placenta growth factor), VEGF-B, VEGF-C, VEGF-D, VEGF-E and snake venom VEGF. VEGF-A has at least nine subtypes due to the alternative splicing of a single gene. Although the VEGF165 isoform plays a central role in vascular development, recent studies have demonstrated that each VEGF isoform plays distinct roles in vascular patterning and arterial development. VEGF-A binds to and activates two tyrosine kinase receptors, VEGFR (VEGF receptor)-1 and VEGFR-2. VEGFR-2 mediates most of the endothelial growth and survival signals, but VEGFR-1-mediated signalling plays important roles in pathological conditions such as cancer, ischaemia and inflammation. In solid tumours, VEGF-A and its receptor are involved in carcinogenesis, invasion and distant metastasis as well as tumour angiogenesis. VEGF-A also has a neuroprotective effect on hypoxic motor neurons, and is a modifier of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Recent progress in the molecular and biological understanding of the VEGF/VEGFR system provides us with novel and promising therapeutic strategies and target proteins for overcoming a variety of diseases.

Expression Profile of VEGF-C, VEGF-D, and VEGFR-3 in Different Grades of Endometrial Cancer

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (12) ◽  
pp. 1004-1010
Author(s):  
Marcin Oplawski ◽  
Konrad Dziobek ◽  
Nikola Zmarzły ◽  
Beniamin Grabarek ◽  
Tomasz Halski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endometrial Cancer ◽  
Optical Density ◽  
Metastatic Potential ◽  
Vegf Receptor ◽  
Vascular Endothelial ◽  
Tumor Lymphangiogenesis ◽  
Neoplastic Process ◽  
The One ◽  
Post Hoc ◽  
Endothelial Growth Factor

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C, -D, and VEGF receptor-3 are proteins characterized as crucial for tumor lymphangiogenesis. It is accompanied by angiogenesis during wound healing, but also in the neoplastic process. The research studies have shown that the lymphatic system plays a key role in the progression of carcinogenesis. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in the expression of VEGF-C, VEGF-D and VEGFR-3 in different grades of endometrial cancer (G1-G3). Methods: The study included 45 patients diagnosed with endometrial cancer (G1=17; G2=15; G3=13) and 15 patients without neoplastic changes. The expression of VEGF-C, VEGF-D, and VEGFR-3 was assessed using microarray technique and immunohistochemistry. Statistical analysis was performed using the one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post-hoc test. Results: Statistically significant changes in the expression at the transcriptome level were found only in the case of VEGF-C (G1 vs. C, fold change - FC = -1.15; G2 vs. C, FC = -2.33; G3 vs. C, FC = - 1.68). However, VEGF-D and VEGFR-3 were expressed at the protein level. Analysis of VEGF-D expression showed that the optical density of the reaction product in G1 reached 101.7, while the values in G2 and G3 were 142.7 and 184.4, respectively. For VEGF-R3, the optical density of the reaction product reached the following levels: 72 in control, 118.77 in G1, 145.8 in G2, and 170.9 in G3. Conclusion: : An increase in VEGF-D and VEGFR-3 levels may indicate that VEGF-D-dependent processes are intensified along with the dedifferentiation of tumor cells. The lack of VEGF-C expression in endometrial cancer samples may suggest that this tumor is characterized by a different mechanism of metastasis than EMT. Our study emphasizes that when analyzing the metastatic potential of cancer, the expression of more than one factor should be taken into account.

scholarly journals Lipid Raft Association Stabilizes VEGF Receptor 2 in Endothelial Cells

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 798
Author(s):  
Ibukunoluwapo O. Zabroski ◽  
Matthew A. Nugent
Keyword(s):  
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor ◽  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Lipid Rafts ◽  
Vegf Receptor ◽  
Vascular Endothelial ◽  
Potential Mechanism ◽  
Lysosomal Degradation ◽  
Extracellular Signal ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Endothelial Growth Factor

The binding of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF) to VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) stimulates angiogenic signaling. Lipid rafts are cholesterol-dense regions of the plasma membrane that serve as an organizational platform for biomolecules. Although VEGFR2 has been shown to colocalize with lipid rafts to regulate its activation, the effect of lipid rafts on non-activated VEGFR2 has not been explored. Here, we characterized the involvement of lipid rafts in modulating the stability of non-activated VEGFR2 in endothelial cells using raft disrupting agents: methyl-β-cyclodextrin, sphingomyelinase and simvastatin. Disrupting lipid rafts selectively decreased the levels of non-activated VEGFR2 as a result of increased lysosomal degradation. The decreased expression of VEGFR2 translated to reduced VEGF-activation of the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases (ERK). Overall, our results indicate that lipid rafts stabilize VEGFR2 and its associated signal transduction activities required for angiogenesis. Thus, modulation of lipid rafts may provide a means to regulate the sensitivity of endothelial cells to VEGF stimulation. Indeed, the ability of simvastatin to down regulate VEGFR2 and inhibit VEGF activity suggest a potential mechanism underlying the observation that this drug improves outcomes in the treatment of certain cancers.

scholarly journals Perforation of the Small Intestine after Introduction of Lenvatinib in a Patient with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naomi Suzuki ◽  
Kazuto Tajiri ◽  
Yuka Futsukaichi ◽  
Shinichi Tanaka ◽  
Aiko Murayama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Small Intestine ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Growth Factor Receptor ◽  
Vegf Receptor ◽  
Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Vascular Endothelial ◽  
First Line ◽  
Endothelial Growth Factor ◽  
Line Standard

Lenvatinib is a first-line standard treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with better anti-tumor effects than sorafenib, as shown by greater inhibition of the kinases of fibroblast growth factor receptor and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor. This report describes a patient with advanced HCC who experienced perforation of the small intestine 1 month after starting the treatment with lenvatinib. This patient likely had partial necrosis of a metastasis to the small intestine before starting lenvatinib treatment, with subsequent ischemic changes leading to perforation of the small intestine. Although metastasis of HCC to the small intestine is rare, patients with these metastases should be regarded as being at risk for perforation during lenvatinib treatment.

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