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- Title
Vascular endothelial growth factor-B and retinal vascular development in the mouse.
- Authors
Reichelt, Melissa; Shi, Shunning; Hayes, Mark; Kay, Graham; Batch, Jennifer; Gole, Glen A; Browning, Jay
- Abstract
Abstract Purpose: Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) is crucial to retinal vascular growth, both normal and pathological. VEGF-B, recently characterized, is reported to be expressed in retinal tissues, but the importance of VEGF-B to retinal vascular development remained unknown. The aim of this study was to analyse retinal vascular growth in the Vegfb -/- knockout mouse. Methods: Retinal vascular growth was measured in Vegfb -/- knockout mice raised under normal conditions, and Vegfb -/- knockout mice with an oxygen-induced proliferative retinopathy. Wild type Vegfb +/+ mice served as controls. Vessels were perfused with ink and retinal flatmounts secondarily labelled with FITC-lectin (BS-1, Griffonia simplicifolia ). Area and diameter of retinal growth and retinal vascular growth were recorded over days 0-20, and capillary density and mean diameter recorded from day 17 pups. Results: A variety of techniques confirmed that Vegfb +/+ mice expressed VEGF-B and that VEGF-B expression was absent in Vegfb -/- mice. Vegfb -/- mice raised in room air showed no significant differences from Vegfb +/+ controls. No differences were found in oxygen-induced retinopathy between Vegfb -/- and Vegfb +/+ pups in either the extent of the initial oxygen-induced ablation, or in the regrowth of retinal vessels or vitreal (neovascular) sprouts; vitreal sprouts are important markers of the abnormal proliferative response, and are maximally expressed on day 17 in this model of oxygen-induced retinopathy. Conclusions: These results indicate that a lack of VEGF-B does not significantly affect development of the retinal vasculature under normal conditions, nor does it appear to affect the proliferative retinal responses seen in oxygen-induced retinopathy.
- Subjects
VASCULAR endothelium; RETINA
- Publication
Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology, 2003, Vol 31, Issue 1, p61
- ISSN
1442-6404
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1046/j.1442-9071.2003.00602.x