Appearance of lectin-binding sites during vascularization of the primordium of the central nervous system in 10 to 12-day-old mouse embryos

Summary In the present study lectin-binding sites were investigated for the lectins Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA I), wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), soya bean agglutinin (SBA), concanavalin A (Con A), Lotus tetragonolobus(LTA) and Limulus polyphemus agglutinin (LPA) during the initial stages of vasculogenesis of the CNS-anlage in 10 to 12-day-old NMRI mouse embryos. Specific binding sites for the lectins RCA I (sugar specificity: -D-galactose, N-acetylgalactosamine), WGA (sugar specificity: N-acetylglucosamine, sialic acid), and SBA (sugar specificity: N-acetylgalactosamine, -D-galactose) were detected in the newly formed capillaries within the neuroepithelial cell layer. In contrast, binding sites for Con A, LTA and LPA could not be observed at the start of the vascularization of the CNS-anlage. From these results, the conclusion can be drawn that glycoconjugates containing D-galactose, N-acetylgalactosamine and N-acetyl-glucosamine moieties are involved in the early vasculogenesis of the embryonic CNS-anlage of the mouse.     

Interrelationship of renal vascular development and nephrogenesis

Within the cortex region of the neonatal rabbit kidney the developing microvasculature was investigated by means of two endothelium-detecting antibodies (EnPo 1 and EC1). Rows of antibody-labelled cells were found within tissue regions that had previously been described as avascular. We conclude that these vessel-like structures detected by EnPo 1 and EC1 are capillary precursors without lumina. Furthermore, beneath the fibrous capsule within the morphologically homogeneous mesenchyme two cell populations can be discriminated by use of differential antigen expression. The EnPo 1 antigen, which is abundant on endothelial cells and podocytes at different developmental stages, was detected on a subpopulation of mesenchymal cells. These cells were exclusively detected surrounding the tip of the collecting duct ampulla. Due to the unique specificity of EC1 and EnPo 1 the process of microvascular development can be readily followed on serial optical sections gained by laser scan microscopy. (1) Adjacent to EnPo 1-positive mesenchymal cell islets vessel-like structures are found that are in contact with the differentiated vasculature. (2) The renal vesicle is enclosed by a network of vessel-like structures establishing contact with differentiated vessels. (3) No guidance of invading capillary sprouts toward the developing glomerulus and nephron is required, since vascular elements already accompany the earliest detectable nephron stage.     

Soluble Melanoma Cell Adhesion Molecule (sMCAM/sCD146) Promotes Angiogenic Effects on Endothelial Progenitor Cells through Angiomotin

The melanoma cell adhesion molecule (CD146) contains a circulating proteolytic variant (sCD146), which is involved in inflammation and angiogenesis. Its circulating level is modulated in different pathologies, but its intracellular transduction pathways are still largely unknown. Using peptide pulldown and mass spectrometry, we identified angiomotin as a sCD146-associated protein in endothelial progenitor cells (EPC). Interaction between angiomotin and sCD146 was confirmed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence, and binding of sCD146 on both immobilized recombinant angiomotin and angiomotin-transfected cells. Silencing angiomotin in EPC inhibited sCD146 angiogenic effects, i.e. EPC migration, proliferation, and capacity to form capillary-like structures in Matrigel. In addition, sCD146 effects were inhibited by the angiomotin inhibitor angiostatin and competition with recombinant angiomotin. Finally, binding of sCD146 on angiomotin triggered the activation of several transduction pathways that were identified by antibody array. These results delineate a novel signaling pathway where sCD146 binds to angiomotin to stimulate a proangiogenic response. This result is important to find novel target cells of sCD146 and for the development of therapeutic strategies based on EPC in the treatment of ischemic diseases.     

3，4苯并芘对内皮祖细胞生物学功能的影响

目的研究3,4苯并芘（BaP）对人脐血来源的内皮祖细胞（EPC）生物学功能的影响。方法密度梯度离心法分离获取人脐血单个核细胞,采用贴壁培养法培养MNC中的EPC,通过Dil标记的乙酰化低密度脂蛋白（Dil-ac-LDL）摄取实验和FITC标记的植物凝集素（FITC-UEA-I lectin）结合实验鉴定细胞。消化收集第3代细胞,分别采用细胞计数试剂盒（CCK-8）、黏附能力测定实验、Transwell小室法及Matrigel体外成血管试验观察BaP对EPC增殖能力、粘附能力、迁移能力及成血管能力的影响,并检测各组细胞培养上清液SOD含量。采用单因素方差分析及LSD-t检验进行统计学分析。结果采用贴壁培养法能成功培养出EPC;与正常对照组相比,BaP呈浓度依赖性降低EPC的增殖能力{正常对照组OD（1.02±0.04）显著高于BaP各组[BaP①组OD（0.66±0.04）,BaP②组OD（0.55±0.04）,BaP③组OD（0.35±0.05）,均P〈0.01],BaP染毒组间增殖能力差异亦有统计学意义（两两比较,均P〈0.01）};与正常对照组比较,BaP呈浓度依赖性降低EPC的黏附能力{正常对照组[（117.50±17.16）个/200倍镜]显著高于BaP各组[BaP①组（80.00±14.46）个/200倍镜,BaP②组（66.00±9.06）个/200倍镜,BaP③组（49.80±10.72）个/200倍镜,均P〈0.01],BaP染毒组间黏附能力差异亦有统计学意义（两两比较,均P〈0.05）};与正常对照组相比,EPC的迁移能力亦呈BaP浓度依赖性降低{正常对照组[（46.10±4.51）个/400倍镜]显著高于BaP各组[BaP①组（35.50±4.95）个/400倍镜,BaP②组（26.80±4.08）个/400倍镜,BaP③组（19.50±2.84）个/400倍镜,均P〈0.01],BaP染毒组间迁移能力差异亦有统计学意义（两两比较,均P〈0.01）};与正常对照组比较,EPC的成血管能力亦呈BaP浓度依赖性降低{正常对照组[（33.20±3.70）个/100倍镜]显著高于BaP各组[BaP①组（22.00±3.39）个/100倍镜,BaP②组（16.20±2.59）个/100倍镜,BaP③组（10.80±2.39）个/100倍镜,均P〈0.01],BaP染毒组间成血管能力差异亦有统计学意义（两两比较,均P〈0.05）}。同时细胞培养上清液中SOD的活力也呈BaP浓度依赖性地降低{正常对照组[（22.6±2.19）U/ml]高于BaP各组[BaP①组（15.94±1.68）U/ml,BaP②组（12.5±1.58）U/ml,BaP③组（6.9±1.55）U/ml,均P〈0.01],BaP染毒组间SOD活力差异亦有统计学意义（两两比较,均P〈0.01）}。结论 BaP体外诱导显著影响EPC的多种生物学功能,其机制可能与氧化损伤有关。     

Rescue of cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (Por) mouse mutants reveals functions in vasculogenesis, brain and limb patterning linked to retinoic acid homeostasis

Cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (POR) acts as an electron donor for all cytochrome P450 enzymes. Knockout mouse Por(-/-) mutants, which are early embryonic (E9.5) lethal, have been found to have overall elevated retinoic acid (RA) levels, leading to the idea that POR early developmental function is mainly linked to the activity of the CYP26 RA-metabolizing enzymes (Otto et al., Mol. Cell. Biol. 23, 6103-6116). By crossing Por mutants with a RA-reporter lacZ transgene, we show that Por(-/-) embryos exhibit both elevated and ectopic RA signaling activity e.g. in cephalic and caudal tissues. Two strategies were used to functionally demonstrate that decreasing retinoid levels can reverse Por(-/-) phenotypic defects, (i) by culturing Por(-/-) embryos in defined serum-free medium, and (ii) by generating compound mutants defective in RA synthesis due to haploinsufficiency of the retinaldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (Raldh2) gene. Both approaches clearly improved the Por(-/-) early phenotype, the latter allowing mutants to be recovered up until E13.5. Abnormal brain patterning, with posteriorization of hindbrain cell fates and defective mid- and forebrain development and vascular defects were rescued in E9.5 Por(-/-) embryos. E13.5 Por(-/-); Raldh2(+/-) embryos exhibited abdominal/caudal and limb defects that strikingly phenocopy those of Cyp26a1(-/-) and Cyp26b1(-/-) mutants, respectively. Por(-/-); Raldh2(+/-) limb buds were truncated and proximalized and the anterior-posterior patterning system was not established. Thus, POR function is indispensable for the proper regulation of RA levels and tissue distribution not only during early embryonic development but also in later morphogenesis and molecular patterning of the brain, abdominal/caudal region and limbs.     

VEGF and therapeutic opportunities in cardiovascular diseases

In the past ten years, alternative revascularization strategies have come from bench to bedside focusing on the growth of new vessels to replace the old. Hypoxia and vascular endothelial growth factor may induce capillary growth; however, atherosclerosis affects large conductance vessels, which can only be replaced by functional collateral arteries.     

Systematic analysis of hematopoietic, vasculogenetic, and angiogenetic phases in the developing embryonic avian lung, Gallus gallus variant domesticus

In the embryonic lung of the domestic fowl, Gallus gallus variant domesticus, hematogenetic and vasculogenetic cells become ultrastructurally clear from day 4 of development. In the former group of cells, filopodial extensions coalesce, cytoplasm thickens, and accumulating hemoglobin displaces the nucleus peripherally while in the latter, conspicuous filopodial extensions and large nuclei develop as the cells assume a rather stellate appearance. From day 5, erythrocytes and granular leukocytes begin forming from cytoarchitecturally cognate hematogenetic cells. The cells become distinguishable when hemoglobin starts to accumulate in the erythroblasts and electron dense bodies form in the leukoblasts. Vasculogenesis begins from day 7 in different areas of the developing lung: erthrocytes (but not granular leukocytes) appear to attract committed vasculogenetic cells (angioblasts) that form an endothelial lining and vessel wall. Arrangement of angioblasts around forming blood vessels sets the direction along which the vessels sprout (angiogenesis). In some areas of the developing lung, through what seems like an inductive erythropoietic process, arcades of erythrocytes organize. Once endothelial cells surround such continuities, discrete vascular units organize. By day 10, the major parts of the in-built (intrinsic) pulmonary vasculature are assembled. Complete pulmonary circulation (i.e., through the exchange tissue) is not established until after day 18 when the blood capillaries start to develop. Since the precursory erythrocytes do not have a respiratory role, it is imperative that de novo erythropoiesis is essential for vasculogenesis. Diffuse (fragmentary) development and subsequent piecemeal assembly of the pulmonary vascular system may explicate the fabrication of a complex circulatory architecture that grants cross-current, counter-current, and multicapillary serial arterialization designs in the exchange tissue of the avian lung. The exceptional respiratory efficiency of the avian lung is largely attributable to the geometries (physical interfacing) between the bronchial and vascular elements at different levels of morphological organization.     

Gene expression profiles of endothelial progenitor cells by oligonucleotide microarray analysis

Among the many tissue stem or progenitor cells recently being unveiled, endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have attracted particular attention, not only because of their cardinal role in vascular biology and embryology but also because of their potential use in the therapeutic development of a variety of postnatal diseases, including cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disorders and cancer. The aim of this study is to provide some basic and comprehensive information on gene expression of EPCs to characterize the cells in molecular terms. Here, we focus on EPCs derived from CD34-positive mononuclear cells of human umbilical cord blood. The EPCs were purified and expanded in culture and analyzed by a high-density oligonucleotide microarray and real-time RT-PCR analysis. We identified 169 up-regulated and 107 down-regulated genes in the EPCs compared with three differentiated endothelial cells of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), human lung microvascular endothelial cells (LMEC) and human aortic endothelial cells (AoEC). It is expected that the obtained list include key genes which are critical for EPC function and survival and thus potential targets of EPC recognition in vivo and therapeutic modulation of vasculogenesis in cancer as well as other diseases, in which de novo vasculogenesis plays a crucial role. For instance, the list includes Syk and galectin-3, which encode protein tyrosine kinase and β-galactoside-binding protein, respectively, and are expressed higher in EPCs than the three control endothelial cells. In situ hybridization showed that the genes were expressed in isolated cells in the fetal liver at E11.5 and E14.5 of mouse development.     

A 3-D model of coronary vessel development

Coronary vascular disease is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in the United States. Therefore, a mechanistic understanding of coronary vessel morphogenesis would aid in the innovation of new therapies targeting vascular disorders. Moreover, a functionally equivalent in vitro model system allows for the delineation of the molecular mechanisms that regulate coronary vessel development. In this study, we present a novel in vitro model system. This three-dimensional (3-D) model system consists of a tubular scaffold, which is engineered from type-I collagen and has been optimized to support the growth of embryonic cardiac tissues. In this report, proepicardial (PE) cells, the developmental precursors of coronary vessels, have been isolated from several model species and cultured on this scaffold. In this model system, the PE cells were able to recapitulate several aspects of coronary vessel morphogenesis including epicardial formation, the epicardial to mesenchymal transformation, and de novo coronary vessel development or vasculogenesis. The differentiation of PE cells was characterized using a variety of specific protein markers. The potential uses of this novel coronary developmental model are discussed.