Inhibition of corneal neovascularization with endostatin delivered by adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector in a mouse corneal injury model

The use of a recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) vector carrying endostatin gene as an anti-angiogenesis strategy to treat corneal neovascularization in a mouse model was evaluated. Subconjunctival injection of recombinant endostatin-AAV was used to examine the inhibition of corneal neovascularization induced by silver nitrate cauterization in mice. The results showed that gene expression in corneal tissue was observed as early as 4 days after gene transfer and stably lasted for over 8 months with minimal immune reaction. Subconjunctival injection of a high-titer rAAV-endostatin successfully inhibited neovascularization. Immunohistchemistry staining of CD 31 and endostatin showed that the treatment significantly inhibits angiogenesis in cornea. We concluded that the rAAV was capable of directly delivering genes to the ocular surface epithelium by way of subconjunctival injection and was able to deliver sustained, high levels of gene expression in vivo to inhibit angiogenesis.     

CD105shRNA对激光诱导的脉络膜新生血管的干预作用及其机制

目的：观察CD105shRNA对激光诱导的大鼠脉络膜新生血管的抑制作用,并初步探讨其作用机制。方法：40只BN大鼠单眼采用半导体激光建立CNV模型。随机取20只大鼠于建模后1天使用Pgenesil-eng2转染大鼠视网膜和脉络膜作为实验组。在建模后第14天行FFA检查,观察实验组与对照组视网膜激光斑的渗漏情况。各取5只实验组和5只对照组大鼠,行脉络膜铺片,检测并比较脉络膜新生血管渗漏面积。另32只BN大鼠任取一眼建立CNV模型,其中任取20只大鼠于建模后次日进行Pgen-esil—eag2转染,作为实验组。12只建模眼作为对照组,未建模眼作为空白对照组。于基因转染后1w,2w,3w和4w各取5只实验组大鼠和3只对照组大鼠眼球,获取每个时间点实验组、对照组和空白对照组的脉络膜组织。检测各组每个时间点CDl05和VEGF在mRNA水平的表达。结果：FFA显示光凝后第14天时,对照组的渗漏率为63．2％,实验组为24．6％。实验组的BN大鼠眼底渗漏点数较对照组少,渗漏强度较弱。两组间比较有显著性差异。脉络膜铺片结果显示：2周时对照组大鼠的CNV面积为（31．22±1．46）×10^3μm2,实验组大鼠的CNV渗漏面积为（14．46±0．82）×10^3μm2,两组间比较有显著性差异。RT—PCR结果显示：实验组VEGFmRNA及CDl05mRNA的表达变化规律与对照组相似,但各个时间点的表达量较对照组均明显下降,其中实验组VEGFmRNA于2w时的表达约为对照组的36．7％;实验组CD105mRNA在第2w时约为对照组的21．68％。结论：通过沉默CD105基因的表达可以抑制大鼠CNV的生成,下调VEGF的表达可能是其作用机制之一。CD105基因有望成为CNV的基础研究热点和临床治疗的新靶点。     

Enhanced anti-angiogenic effect of a deletion mutant of plasminogen kringle 5 on neovascularization

Kringle 5 (K5), a proteolytic fragment of plasminogen, has been proved to be an angiogenic inhibitor. Previously, we have evaluated the effect of K5 on the vascular leakage and neovascularization in a rat model of oxygen-induced retinopathy. In this study, we expressed K5 and a deletion mutant of K5 (K5 mutant) in a prokaryocyte expression system and purified them by affinity chromatography. K5 mutant was generated by deleting 11 amino acids from K5 while retaining the three disulfide bonds. The anti-angiogenic activity of intact K5 and K5 mutant were compared in endothelial cells and retinal neovascularization rat model. K5 mutant inhibited the proliferation of primary human retinal capillary endothelial cells (HRCEC) in a concentration-dependent manner, with an apparent EC50 of approximate 35 nmol/L, which is twofold more potent than intact K5. In the even higher concentration range, K5 mutant did not inhibit pericytes from the same origin of HRCEC, which suggested an endothelial cell-specific inhibition. K5 mutant had no effect on normal liver cells and Bel7402 hepatoma cells even at high concentration range either. Intravitreal injection of the K5 and mutant in the oxygen-induced retinopathy rat model both resulted in significantly fewer neovascular tufts and nonperfusion area than controls with PBS injection, as shown by fluorescein angiography. Furthermore, K5 mutant exhibited more strong inhibition effect on neovascularization than intact K5 by quantification of vascular cells. These results suggest that this K5 deletion mutant is a more potent angiogenic inhibitor than intact K5 and may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of those disorders with neovascularization, such as solid tumor, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, rheumatoid arthritis, and hyperplasia of prostate.     

Contribution of bone-marrow-derived cells to choroidal neovascularization

We investigated the involvement of bone-marrow derived cells to experimental choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in mice, whose bone marrow was reconstituted by either unfractionated bone-marrow cells or Lin-c(-)Kit(+)Sca-1+ enriched presumable hematopoietic stem cells from the green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgeneic mice. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated the presence of GFP-positive cells in the CNV lesion after unfractionated bone-marrow transplantation, as well as Lin-c(-)Kit(+)Sca-1+ cell transplantation. Some of the GFP-expressing cells also expressed CD-31 and PanEC antigen, markers of vascular endothelial cells. Our results suggest that bone-marrow derived cells may contribute endothelial cells in CNV.     

Structural basis for extracellular interactions between calcitonin receptor-like receptor and receptor activity-modifying protein 2 for adrenomedullin-specific binding

The calcitonin receptor-like receptor (CRLR), a class B GPCR, forms a heterodimer with receptor activity-modifying protein 2 (RAMP2), and serves as the adrenomedullin (AM) receptor to control neovascularization, while CRLR and RAMP1 form the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor. Here, we report the crystal structures of the RAMP2 extracellular domain alone and in the complex with the CRLR extracellular domain. The CRLR-RAMP2 complex exhibits several intermolecular interactions that were not observed in the previously reported CRLR-RAMP1 complex, and thus the shape of the putative ligand-binding pocket of CRLR-RAMP2 is distinct from that of CRLR-RAMP1. The CRLR-RAMP2 interactions were confirmed for the full-length proteins on the cell surface by site-specific photo-crosslinking. Mutagenesis revealed that AM binding requires RAMP2 residues that are not conserved in RAMP1. Therefore, the differences in both the shapes and the key residues of the binding pocket are essential for the ligand specificity.     

Potential role of the methylation of VEGF gene promoter in response to hypoxia in oxygen‐induced retinopathy: beneficial effect of the absence of AQP4

Hypoxia‐dependent accumulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a major role in retinal diseases characterized by neovessel formation. In this study, we investigated whether the glial water channel Aquaporin‐4 (AQP4) is involved in the hypoxia‐dependent VEGF upregulation in the retina of a mouse model of oxygen‐induced retinopathy (OIR). The expression levels of VEGF, the hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α (HIF‐1α) and the inducible form of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), the production of nitric oxide (NO), the methylation status of the HIF‐1 binding site (HBS) in the VEGF gene promoter, the binding of HIF‐1α to the HBS, the retinal vascularization and function have been determined in the retina of wild‐type (WT) and AQP4 knock out (KO) mice under hypoxic (OIR) or normoxic conditions. In response to 5 days of hypoxia, WT mice were characterized by (i) AQP4 upregulation, (ii) increased levels of VEGF, HIF‐1α, iNOS and NO, (iii) pathological angiogenesis as determined by engorged retinal tufts and (iv) dysfunctional electroretinogram (ERG). AQP4 deletion prevents VEGF, iNOS and NO upregulation in response to hypoxia thus leading to reduced retinal damage although in the presence of high levels of HIF‐1α. In AQP4 KO mice, HBS demethylation in response to the beginning of hypoxia is lower than in WT mice reducing the binding of HIF‐1α to the VEGF gene promoter. We conclude that in the absence of AQP4, an impaired HBS demethylation prevents HIF‐1 binding to the VEGF gene promoter and the relative VEGF transactivation, reducing the VEGF‐induced retinal damage in response to hypoxia.     

In vitro angiogenesis is modulated by the mechanical properties of fibrin gels and is related to αvβ3 integrin localization

Summary This study deals with the role of the mechanical properties of matrices in in vitro angiogenesis. The ability of rigid fibrinogen matrices with fibrin gels to promote capillarylike structures was compared. The role of the mechanical properties of the fibrin gels was assessed by varying concentration of the fibrin gels. When the concentration of fibrin gels was decreased from 2 mg/ml to 0.5 mg/ml, the capillarylike network increased. On rigid fibrinogen matrices, capillarylike structures were not formed. The extent of the capillarylike network formed on fibrin gels having the lowest concentration depended on the number of cells seeded. The dynamic analysis of capillarylike network formation permitted a direct visualization of a progressive stretching of the 0.5 mg/ml fibrin gels. This stretching was not observed when fibrin concentration increases. This analysis shows that 10 h after seeding, a prearrangement of cells into ringlike structures was observed. These ringlike structures grew in size. Between 16 and 24 h after seeding, the capillarylike structures were formed at the junction of two ringlike structures. Analysis of the α_vβ₃ integrin localization demonstrates that cell adhesion to fibrinogen is mediated through the α_vβ₃ integrin localized into adhesion plaques. Conversely, cell adhesion to fibrin shows a diffuse and dot-contact distribution. We suggest that the balance of the stresses between the tractions exerted by the cells and the resistance of the fibrin gels triggers an angiogenic signal into the intracellular compartment. This signal could be associated with modification in the α_vβ₃ integrin distribution.     

A novel bispecific molecule delivered by recombinant AAV2 suppresses ocular inflammation and choroidal neovascularization

Elevated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and complement activation are implicated in the pathogenesis of different ocular diseases. The objective of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that dual inhibition of both VEGF and complement activation would confer better protection against ocular inflammation and neovascularization. In this study, we engineered a secreted chimeric VEGF inhibitor domain (VID), a complement inhibitor domain (CID) and a dual inhibitor (ACVP1). Vectors expressing these three inhibitors were constructed and packaged into AAV2 (sextY‐F) particles. The expression and secretion of the proteins were validated by Western blot. The effects of these inhibitors expressed from AAV2 vectors were examined in endotoxin‐induced uveitis (EIU), experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU) and choroidal neovascularization (CNV) mouse models. The AAV2 vectors expressing the CID‐ and ACVP1‐attenuated inflammation in EIU and EAU model, whereas the vector expressing VID showed improved retinal structure damaged by EAU, but not affect the infiltration of inflammatory cells in EAU or EIU eyes. Both VID and CID vectors improved laser‐induced retinal and choroid/RPE injuries and CNV, whereas ACVP1 vector provided significantly better protection. Our results suggest that gene therapy targeting VEGF and complement components could provide an innovative and long‐term strategy for ocular inflammatory and neovascular diseases.     

内皮抑素-血管内皮细胞抑制因子重组腺病毒对新生血管的抑制效应

内皮抑素与血管内皮细胞抑制因子均为内源性新生血管抑制分子。为了探讨两分子融合后的生物学功能,以重组腺病毒为载体介导融合基因在体内外表达。体外实验表明重组腺病毒Ad-hENDO-VEGI151能够在ECV304、HepG2、L929等细胞中表达41000大小的融合蛋白,对血管内皮细胞增殖有明显的特异性抑制作用,对HepG2和L929细胞无抑制作用(F=13112.13,P=0.0001)。体内实验表明Ad-hENDO-VEGI151重组腺病毒表达的融合蛋白可以显著抑制鸡胚绒毛尿囊膜血管的生成;与AdLacZ对照组相比,Ad-hENDO-VEGI151对兔炎症性角膜新生血管的抑制明显(F=1413.11P=0.0001),免疫组化结果显示,融合蛋白主要在角膜上皮层表达;治疗荷肝癌裸鼠,注射Ad-hENDO-VEGI151的肿瘤体积(487.7±241.2mm3)与AdLacZ对照组(4075.9±1849.9mm3)差异显著(F=14.80P=0.0085),抑瘤率达到88.03%,免疫组化结果显示,胞膜染色阳性,Ad-hENDO-VEGI151组肿瘤的微血管密度30.75±3.31%与AdLacZ组50.25±8.65%差异明显F=17.72P=0.0056抑制率为39%。结果提示:重组腺病毒Ad-hENDO-VEGI151能够表达有生物学活性的融合蛋白,并发挥特异性的新生血管抑制作用。