血管内皮生长因子的脑保护及其机制研究进展

血管内皮生长因子(vascular endothelial growth factor,VEGF)是一种重要的血管发育调节因子,最早发现于肿瘤细胞。上世纪90年代,人们发现VEGF在神经细胞上也有广泛表达,并具有神经细胞保护作用。此外,VEGF显著促进成年哺乳动物结构性神经元再生区(constitutive neurogenic regions)和非神经元再生区(non-neurogenic regions)的神经元再生/更新(neurogenesis/regenera-tion),显示了VEGF在神经损伤性及退行性疾病治疗中的潜在意义。本文着重讨论VEGF在脑缺血损伤中的神经保护(neuroprotection)和神经修复(neural repair)及其细胞和分子机制研究进展。

Neuroprotective mechanisms of vascular endothelial growth factor

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), originally discovered in tumor cells, is an angiogenic factor essential for new blood vessel formation during embryogenesis and in many pathological conditions. There is a growing body of evidence that VEGF can act directly on neurons and plays a new role as a neuroprotective factor via multiple mechanisms. Moreover, VEGF modulates neurogenesis in constitutive neurogenic and non-neurogenic regions of adult mammalian brains, which is a promising therapeutic strategy for neuronal replacement in traumatic brain injury and neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we mainly reviewed the neuroprotection of VEGF against ischemic brain injury and its mechanisms.