VEGF mRNA and its receptor flt-1 are expressed in reactive astrocytes following neural grafting and tumor cell implantation in the adult CNS

• Published in: Experimental neurology 1998-11, Vol.154 (1), p.57-65
• Main Authors: KRUM, J. M, ROSENSTEIN, J. M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Astrocytes - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Injuries - metabolism; Endothelial Growth Factors - genetics; Endothelial Growth Factors - metabolism; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein - metabolism; Immunohistochemistry; In Situ Hybridization; Injuries of the nervous system and the skull. Diseases due to physical agents; Lymphokines - genetics; Lymphokines - metabolism; Medical sciences; Neocortex - transplantation; Neoplasm Transplantation; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - metabolism; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases - metabolism; Receptors, Growth Factor - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents; Tumor Cells, Cultured - transplantation; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; Wounds, Stab
• ISSN: 0014-4886; 1090-2430
• DOI: 10.1006/exnr.1998.6930

Significant angiogenesis occurs only after injury in the adult mammalian brain; capillaries proliferate and astrocytes are activated by presently unresolved cellular mechanisms. Because of the intimate relationship between astrocytes and brain capillaries we examined the expression of the specific endothelial mitogen vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in reactive astrocytes following CNS trauma models: neural grafting, stab wounds, and glioma implantation. In situ hybridization was combined with GFAP immunohistochemistry to delineate VEGF mRNA expression in reactive astrocytes. In addition, VEGF and its receptor flt-1 protein expression were detected immunohistochemically. In all three models we found unexpectedly that only reactive astrocytes, not endothelium, expressed the VEGF receptor flt-1, VEGF mRNA, and VEGF protein in a spatiotemporal manner, suggesting that activated astroglia may have a direct role in the induction of angiogenesis or permeability in mature brain. In addition, secreted VEGF may play a part in astroglial signalling by the induction of its own receptor in reactive astroglia following injury. These findings may have significant implications with regard to growth and reparative mechanisms of the adult cerebrovasculature.