Increased expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF),VEGF-C and VEGF receptor-3 in prostate cancer tissue are associated with tumor progression

Aim： To investigate the differences in microvessel densities （MVD） and the expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）, VEGF-C and VEGF receptor-3 （VEGFR-3） between prostate cancer （PCa） tissues and adjacent benign tissues, and to explore the correlations among MVD, Jewett-Whitmore staging, Gleason scores and expressions of VEGF, VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 in the progression of PCa. Methods： An immunohistochemical approach was adopted to detect the expressions of CD34, VEGF, VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 in both cancer areas and peripheral benign areas of 71 primary prostatic adenocarcinoma specimens. A statistic analysis was then performed according to the experimental and clinic data. Results： Significantly upregulated expressions of VEGF, VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 were all found in malignant epithelium/cancer cells compared with adjacent benign epithelium （P 〈 0.01）. Patients in stage D had a significantly higher score than patients in stage A, B or C when comparing the expression of VEGF-C or VEGFR-3 in the tumor area （P 〈 0.01）. In addition, significant correlations were observed between Jewett-Whitmore staging and VEGF-C （rs = 0.738, P 〈 0.01）, clinical staging and VEGFR-3 （rs = 0.410, P 〈 0.01）, VEGF-C and Gleason scores （rs = 0.401, P 〈 0.01）, VEGFR-3 and Gleason scores （rs = 0.581, P 〈 0.001） and MVD and VEGF （rs = 0.492, P 〈 0.001）. Conclusion： Increased expressions of VEGF and VEGF-C were closely associ- ated with progression of PCa. The main contribution of increased VEGF expression for PCa progression was to upregulate MVD, which maintained the growth advantage of tumor tissue. However, the chief role of increased expressions of VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 was to enhance lymphangiogenesis and provide a main pathway for cancer cells to disseminate. （Asian J Androl 2006 Mar; 8： 169-175）

Streptozotocin induced diabetic retinopathy in rat and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptor

·AIM: To establishtherat model of streptozotocin (STZ)- induced diabetic retinopathy (DR), which is the most common cause of visual loss and blindness in patients with diabetes, and observe the gene expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors during the development of DR. ·METHODS: A rat model of diabetes was established by intraperitoneal injection of STZ. The diabetic rats were housed for 2, 3 and 4 months after the development of diabetes. Retinal histopathological observation was performed. The retinal vessels were observed by immunofluorescence staining by CD31. The mRNA expression of VEGF, VEGF receptor 1 and 2 (VEGFR1/2) in rat retina was detected by reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. · RESULTS: Retinal histopathological observation showed the morphological changes of inner nuclear layer (INL) and outer nuclear layer (ONL) at any time -point, and also demonstrated the increased new vessels at both 3, 4 months after the development of diabetes. The CD31 staining results showed that the number of vessels was increased in the retinas of diabetic rats at both 3 and 4 months after the development of diabetes. As compared to the normal rats, the mRNA expression of VEGF was increased in retinas of diabetic rats at 3 months after the development of diabetes, while VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 mRNA expression was increased at 2, 3 and 4 months after the development of diabetes.·CONCLUSION:Takentogether,ourresultsdemonstrated that DR was occurred at 3 months after the development of diabetes, and the mRNA expression of VEGF, VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 were increased in the process of DR. The present study further evidenced the involvement of VEGF and its receptors in the process of DR. ·

Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptors VEGFR-1 and 2 in gastrointestinal stromal tumors,leiomyomas and schwannomas

AIM： To investigate the role of vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF/and its receptors VEGFR-1 and 2 in the growth and differentiation of gastrointestinal strornal tumors （GISTs）. METHODS： Thirty-three GISTs, 15 leiomyomas and 6 schwannomas were examined by immunohistochemistry in this study. RESULTS： VEGF protein was expressed in the cytoplasm of tumor cells, and VEGFRol and 2 were expressed both in the cytoplasm and on the membrane of all tumors. Irnrnunohistochernical staining revealed that 26 GISTs （78.8%）, 9 leiornyornas （60.0%） and 3 schwannornas （50.0%/were positive for VEGF; 24 GISTs （72.7%/, 12 leiornyornas （80.0%） and 4 schwannornas （66.7%） were positive for VEGFR-1; 30 GISTs （90.9%/, 5 leiornyornas （33.3%/and 4 schwannornas （66.7%） were positive for VEGFR-2. VEGFR-2 expression was statistically different between GISTs and leiomyomas （P 〈 0.0001）. However, there was no correlation between the expression of VEGF pathway componenets and the clinical risk categories. CONCLUSION： Our results suggest that the VEGF pathway may play an important role in the differentiation of GISTs, leiomyomas and schwannomas.

Effects of endostatin on expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptors and neovascularization in colonic carcinoma implanted in nude mice

AIM:To investigate the antiangiogenic effects of endostatin on colonic carcinoma cell line implanted in nude mice and its mechanism. METHODS:Nude mice underwent subcutaneous injection with LS-174t colonic carcinoma cell line to generate carcinoma and were randomly separated into two groups.Mice received injection of vehicle or endostatin every day for two weeks. After the tumor was harvested,the tumor volumes were determined,and the expressions of CD34,VEGF and FIk-1 were examined by immunohistochemical method. RESULTS:Tumor volume was significantly inhibited in the endostatin group(84.17%)and tumor weight was significantly inhibited in the endostatin group(0.197±0.049) compared to the control group(1.198±0.105)(F=22.56, P=0.001),microvessel density(MVD)was significantly decreased in the treated group(31.857±3.515)compared to the control group(100.143±4.290)(F=151.62,P<0.001). Furthermore,the expression of FIk-1 was significantly inhibited in the treated group(34.29%) ompared to the control group(8.57%)(X^2=13.745,P=0.001).However no significant decrease was observed in the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)between these two groups(X^2=0.119,P=0.730). CONCLUSION:Endostatin can inhibit tumor growth and angiogenesis by blocking Vegf/FIk-1 pathway.This experiment provides the theory basis for developing a new anti-carcinoma drug through studying the properties of anti-angiogenesis inhibitors.

Expression of thymidine kinase mediated by a novel non-viral delivery system under the control of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 promoter selectively kills human umbilical vein endothelial cells

AIM: To investigate the killing efficiency of a recombinant plasmid containing a thymidine kinase (TK) domain insert driven by the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) promoter (KDR) on vascular endothelial cells.METHODS: The KDR-TK fragment was extracted from pBluescript Ⅱ KDR-TK plasmid by enzymatic digestion with Xho I and Sal I. The enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) carrier was extracted from pEGFP by the same procedure. The KDR-TK was inserted into the pEGFP carrier to construct pEGFP-KDR-TK. Using ultrasound irradiation and microbubble, pEGFP-KDR-TK was transferred into human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The transient infection rate was estimated by green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression. Transfected HUVECs, non-transfected HUVECs, and HepG2 cells were cultured in the presence of different concentrations of ganciclovir (GCV), and the killing efficacy of HSV-TK/GCV was analyzed by 3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. RESULTS: The recombinant pEGFP-KDR-TK was successfully constructed by inserting the KDR-TK fragment into the pEGFP carrier. Transfected HUVECs showed cytoplasmic green fluorescence, and the transient transfection rate was about 20.3%. Pools of G418-resistant cells exhibited a higher sensitivity to theprodrug/GCV compared to non-transfected HUVECs or non-transfected HepG2 cells, respectively. CONCLUSION: KDR promoter and the suicide gene/prodrug system mediated by diagnostic ultrasound combined with microbubble can significantly kill HUVECs. Such therapy may present a novel and attractive approach to target gene therapy on tumor vessels.

Molecular Modeling Studies of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Combining Molecular Docking and 3D-QSAR Methods

The vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） and its receptor tyrosine kinases VEGFR-2 or kinase insertdomain receptor （KDR） have emerged as attractive targets for the design of novel anticancer agents. In the present work, molecular docking method combined with three dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationships （comparative molecular field analysis （CoMFA） and comparative molecular similarity indice analysis （CoMSIA）） to analyze the possible interactions between KDR and those derivatives which acted as selective inhibitors. The CoMFA and CoMSIA models gave a cross-validated coefficient Q2 of 0.713 and 0.549, non-cross-validated R2 values of 0.974 and 0.878, and predicted R2 values of 0.966 and 0.823, respectively. The 3D contour maps generated by the CoMFA and CoMSIA models were used to identify the key structural requirements responsible for the biological activity. The information obtained from 3D-QSAR and docking studies were very helpful to design novel selective inhibitors of KDR with desired activity and good chemical property.

Association of vascular endothelial growth factor-634G/C and receptor for advanced glycation end products G82S gene polymorphisms with diabetic retinopathy

AIMTo investigate the association of receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) G82S and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) -634 G/C gene polymorphisms with diabetic retinopathy (DR).METHODSOur cross-sectional study included 61 diabetic patients, 12 of them had proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), 15 had non proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), 34 had no diabetic retinopathy (NDR) and 61 healthy controls. Participants were tested for RAGE G82S and VEGF -634 G/C polymorphisms by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism.RESULTSWe found a significant association between VEGF -634 G/C polymorphism and PDR as PDR patients had increased incidence of VEGF -634 CC genotype compared to NDR patients [odds ratio for CC vs (GC+GG)=6.5, 95% CI=1.5-27.8, P=0.021]. Also VEGF -634 CC genotype and C allele were significantly higher in the PDR than in NPDR patients, which is a novel finding in our study (P=0.024, 0.009 respectively). The mean triglycerides level was significantly higher in diabetic patients with CC genotype (P=0.01) as compared to patients with other genotypes. All cases and control subjects were of the same heterozygous RAGE 82G/S genotype.CONCLUSIONPatients carrying VEGF -634 C polymorphism have a higher risk of PDR development, so VEGF -634 G/C polymorphism could be used as a predictive marker for PDR in diabetic patients. We could not find a significant association between RAGE G82S polymorphism and DR.

α-fetoprotein,vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 and early recurrence of hepatoma

AIM:To investigate whether α-fetoprotein (AFP) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-1 correlate with early recurrence of hepatoma/hepatocel-lular carcinoma (HCC).METHODS:From 2000 to 2005,114 consecutive pa-tients with HCC underwent primary curative hepatecto-my.The mean age was 60.7 (8.7) years and 94 patients were male.The median follow-up period was 71.2 mo (range:43-100 mo).Immediately prior to commencing laparotomy,5 mL bone marrow was aspirated from thesternum and collected in citrate-coated test tubes.The initial 2 mL of bone marrow aspirate was discarded in each case.AFP mRNA and VEGFR-1 mRNA in the bone marrow and peripheral blood (BM-and PH-AFP mRNA and BM-and PH-VEGFR-1 mRNA,respectively) were measured by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.As normal controls,VEGFR-1 mRNA in the bone marrow and peripheral blood was also measured in 11 living liver donors.These data were evaluated for any correlation with early recurrence,comparing clinical and pathological outcomes.RESULTS:The cut-off value of the BM-AFP mRNA and PH-AFP mRNA level in patients with HCC was set at 1.92 × 10-7 and zero,respectively,based on data from the controls.A total of 34 (29.8%) and six (5.4%) patients were positive for BM-AFP mRNA and PH-AFP mRNA,respectively.The BM-VEGFR-1 mRNA levels in all HCC patients were higher than those in the normal con-trols,and this was the case also for PH-VEGFR-1mRNA.The 25-percentile values for the BM-and PH-VEGFR-1 mRNA in HCC patients were used as the cut-off values for assigning the patients into two groups based on these transcript levels.The High group for BM-VEG-FR-1 mRNA contained 81 (71.1%) HCC cases and the Low group was assigned 33 (28.9%) patients.These numbers for PH-VEGFR-1mRNA were 78 (75.0%) and 26 (25.0%),respectively.HCC recurred in 80 patients;in the remnant liver in 48 cases,in the remnant liver and remote tissue in 20,and in the remote tissue alone in 12.BM-AFP mRNA-positive cases showed a signifi-cantly higher rate of early recurrence (within 1 year of surgical treatment) compared with BM-AFP mRNA-negative patients (P=0.0091).Patients were classified into four groups according to the level/status of their BM-VEGFR-1 and BM-AFP mRNA as follows:group A (n=23),BM-VEGFR-1/BM-AFP mRNA=low/negative;group B (n=57) high/negative;group C (n=10) low/positive;group D (n=24),high/positive.This classifi-cation was found to correlate with a recurrence of thisdisease within 1 year (P=0.0228).The disease-free survival curve of group A was significantly better than that of groups B,C or D (P=0.0437,P=0.0325,P=0.0225).No other classification (i.e.,PH-VEGF-R1/BM-AFP,BM-VEGF-R1/PH-AFP,and PH-VEGF-R1/PH-AFP mRNA) showed such a correlation.CONCLUSION:The evaluation of BM-AFP and BM-VEG-FR-1 mRNA in patients with HCC may be a valuable pre-dictor of disease recurrence following curative resection.

Vascular endothelial growth factor/platelet-derived growth factor receptor pathway is involved in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell differentiation and directional migration toward gliomas

BACKGROUND： Vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） induces bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell （BMSC） differentiation into vascular endothelial-like cells and promotes BMSC migration toward gliomas. However, the molecular mechanisms by which VEGF induces BMSC differentiation and migration remain poorly understood. OBJECTIVE; To investigate the role of platelet-derived growth factor （PDGF） receptor （PDGFR） in BMSC differentiation and migration induced by VEGE DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： A parallel, controlled, in vitro experiment was performed at the Molecular Neurobiology ＆ Neural Regeneration and Repairing Laboratory, Anhui Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University, China from June 2008 to March 2009. MATERIALS： U87 glioma cells were purchased from Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences; mouse anti-human PDGFR and VEGF receptor （VEGFR） monoclonal antibodies were purchased from Peprotech, USA. METHODS： Isolated BMSCs were precultured with neutralizing antibody for VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2, PDGFR-α, and PDGFR-β to block biological activity of related receptors, followed by induced differentiation with 50μg/L VEGF. BMSCs induced with 50μg/L VEGF alone served as the VEGF-induced group. The control group remained untreated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Cell surface markers were identified by flow cytometry; BMSC surface cytokine receptor expression was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction; the Transwell model was used to observe cell migration. RESULTS： After blocking the PDGFR, VEGF did not induce BMSC cell surface marker CD-31 or von Willebrand factor （vWF） expression. However, inhibition with VEGF receptor blocking agents, VEGF induced BMSCs to express CD-31 and vWE Following inhibition of the PDGFR, the number of cells migrating through the polycarbonate membrane Transwell chamber was decreased, as well as the number of BMSCs migrating to glioma cells. However, through the use of VEGF receptor blocking agents, the number of migrating cells remained unchanged. VEGF preculture increased the number of BMSCs migrating to gliomas. CONCLUSION： VEGF interacts with PDGFRs on the BMSC surface to attract BMSC directional migration and induce BMSC differentiation. The VEGF/PDGFR pathway participates in BMSC directional migration to glioma. VEGF pretreatment increased efficiency of BMSC migration to glioma.

Serum vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 and adropin levels in age-related macular degeneration

AIM： To investigate the serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2（VEGFR-2） and adropin in age-related macular degeneration（AMD）patients.·METHODS： Ninety-eight AMD patients were included in the study. Seventy-eight age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers were recruited as the control group.Fundus florescein angiography and optical coherence tomography were performed to assess the posterior segment details. Serum VEGFR-2 and adropin levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and compared between the study groups.· RESULTS： AMD group had significantly increased foveal retinal thickness, serum LDL and HDL levels and significantly decreased subfoveal choroidal thickness（P =0.01, 0.047, 0.025 and 〈0.001, respectively）. Serum VEGFR-2level revealed a significant decrease in AMD patients compared to controls（26.48 ±6.44 vs 30.42 ±7.92 ng/m L,P 〈0.001）. There was an insignificant increase in serum adropin level in AMD patients（6.17±3.19 vs 5.79±2.71 ng/m L,P =0.4）. Serum level of VEGFR-2 in AMD patients had a significant negative correlation with foveal retinal thickness（r =-0.226, P =0.025） and a significant positive correlation with subfoveal choroidal thickness（r=0.2, P=0.048）.·CONCLUSION： The current study demonstrated that the decreased serum VEGFR-2 level may be considered in the development of AMD. Adropin does not seem to play a role in the pathogenesis of AMD.

Expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-C and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3 in Ovarian Epithelial Tumors

Objective： To explore the role of vascular endothelial growth factor-C （VEGF-C） in the process of angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis in epithelial ovarian tumors. Methods： In situ hybridization and immunohistochemical staining for VEGF-C were performed in 30 epithelial ovarian carcinomas, 9 borderline tumors and 26 benign tumors. Endothelial cells were immunostained with anti-VEGFR-3 pAb and anti-CD31 mAb, and VEGFR-3 positive vessels and microvessel density （MVD） were assessed by image analysis. Results： VEGF-C mRNA and protein expression were detected in cytoplasm of carcinoma cells. VEGF-C mRNA and protein expression in ovarian epithelial carcinomas were significantly higher than those in borderline tumors and benign tumors （P〈0.05 or P〈0.01）. In ovarian epithelial carcinomas, VEGF-C protein expression, VEGFR-3 positive vessels and MVD were significantly higher in the cases of clinical stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ and with lymph node metastasis than those of clinical stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ and without lymph node metastasis respectively （P〈0.05 or P〈0.01）. VEGFR-3 positive vessels and MVD were significantly higher in VEGF-C protein positive tumors than negative tumors （P〈0.05）. VEGFR-3 positive vessels was significantly correlated with MVD（P〈0.01）. Conclusion： VEGF-C might play a role in lymphatic metastasis via lymphangiogenesis and angiogenesis in epithelial ovarian tumors, and VBEGF-C could be used as a biologic marker of metastasis in ovarian epithelial tumors.

Induction of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells after repeated bevacizumab treatment in vitro

AIM： To investigate the mechanism underlying the loss of responsiveness to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor（VEGF） treatment after repeated injections for choroidal neovascularization, VEGF and VEGF receptor（VEGFR） expressions were evaluated following repeated bevacizumab treatments in hypoxic human umbilical vein endothelial cells（HUVECs） in vitro.METHODS： HUVECs were incubated under hypoxic conditions in two media of different bevacizumab concentrations（1.0 or 2.5 mg/m L） for 17 h, and then in a new medium without bevacizumab for 7h. This procedure was repeated twice more. A culture with an identical volume of excipients served as the control. Cytotoxicity and cell proliferation were assessed using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide and Ki-67 assays, respectively. Levels of VEGF and VEGFR were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot respectively.RESULTS： Cytotoxic effects were not reported for either bevacizumab concentration. Cell proliferation was not reduced after anti-VEGF treatments. VEGF level after single treatment was significantly higher than that of the control and after repeated treatments. Phosphorylated VEGFR-2 expression increased significantly after singleand repeated bevacizumab treatments compared with the control. The 1.0 mg/m L bevacizumab induced significantly higher expressions of VEGFR-2 than the 2.5 mg/m L in single and repeated treatment groups.CONCLUSION： Bevacizumab treatment of HUVECs elevated VEGFR expression in both single and repeated treatments, indicating a mechanism for the reduced efficacy of anti-VEGF therapy in ocular neovascular disorders.

Does Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Treatment Delay Photoreceptor Maturation in Preterm Infants?

Purpose: To investigate the effects of intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) for treatment of type-1 or aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) on photoreceptor maturation in preterm infants using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Methods: A study group of 36 patients with ROP treated with anti-VEGF therapy was compared to a control group of 80 patients with ROP. All patients had undergone SD-OCT imaging at least once between 40 and 44 weeks post-menstrual age (PMA). Two imaging specialists evaluated the images for ellipsoid zone (EZ) development, cystoid macular edema (CME), sub-retinal fluid (SRF) at the fovea, and cone outer segment tips (COST). The outer nuclear layer thickness and the distance from the EZ to the central fovea was measured. Results: EZ development was observed in 18 (50%) patients in the study group and 68 (85%) in the control group (p = 0.002). CME was observed in 17 (47.2%) patients in the study group and 17 (21.2%) in the control group. The distance between the EZ and central fovea was 868 ± 440 μm in the study group and 725 ± 380 μm in the control group (p = 0.02). COST was not observed in any patient. Regression analysis indicated that anti-VEGF treatment and CME affect EZ development. Conclusions: Early photoreceptor maturation is correlated with preterm birth week but not ROP stage. Anti-VEGF treatment delays photoreceptor maturation in preterm infants.

Increased serum levels of soluble CD146 and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration

AIM: To investigate serum levels of soluble CD146(s CD146) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2(VEGFR2) in patients with age-related macular degeneration(AMD). METHODS: Eighty-eight patients with exudative AMD and 45 sex-and age-matched healthy controls were enrolled in this study conducted in China. Serum samples was obtained from the patients with exudative AMD and from the controls. Serum sCD146 and VEGFR2 protein levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.RESULTS: We found that serum sCD146 and VEGFR2 protein levels were significantly higher in the patients with exudative AMD group than in the controls(t=3.859, P<0.001 and t=3.829, P<0.001, respectively). Serum sCD146 levels were significantly higher in patients with classic choroidal neovascularization(CNV) than in those with occult CNV(t=9.899, P<0.001). There was a significant difference in the trend for exudative AMD in the highest versus lowest quartile of circulating sCD146 levels(χ2=10.29, P=0.001). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the area under the curve was 0.696 for s CD146(95%CI: 0.601-0.791) with an optimum diagnostic cut-off value of 157.16 ng/mL, a sensitivity of 55.7%, and a specificity of 82.2%.CONCLUSION: The serum sCD146 level increases and may be a biomarker for exudative AMD.

Prognostic value of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 and classⅢβ-tubulin in survival for nonmetastatic rectal cancer

AIM To assess the long-term prognostic value of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1(VEGFR1)and classⅢβ-tubulin(TUBB3)mRNA expression in nonmetastatic rectal cancer.METHODS A total of 75 consecutive patients with non-metastatic rectal cancer from March 2004 to November 2008 were analyzed retrospectively at our institute.The mRNA expressions of VEGFR1 and TUBB3 were detected by multiplex branched DNA liquid-chip technology.The Cutoff Finder application was applied to determine cutoff point of mRNA expression.SPSS software version 22.0was used for analysis.RESULTS The median follow-up was 102.7 mo(range,6-153.6).Theχ~2 and Fisher’s exact tests showed that VEGFR1expression was related to lymph node metastasis(P=0.013),while no relationships between TUBB3 and clinicopathological features were observed.Univariate analysis showed that T stage,lymph node metastasis,tumor differentiation,VEGFR1 and TUBB3 mRNA expression were correlated to overall survival(OS)(P=0.048,P=0.003,P=0.052,P=0.003 and P=0.015,respectively).Also,lymph node metastasis and VEGFR1expression independently influenced OS by multivariate analysis(P=0.027 and P=0.033).VEGFR1 expression was positively correlated with TUBB3(P=0.024).The patients with low expression of both TUBB3 and VEGFR1 presented a better OS(P=0.003).In addition,the receiver operating characteristic analysis suggested that the combination of lymph node metastasis and VEGFR1 had a more favorable prognostic value(P<0.001).CONCLUSION VEGFR1 expression and lymph node metastasis independently and jointly affect survival.Moreover,low expression of VEGFR1 and TUBB3 presented a better OS in patients with non-metastatic rectal cancer,which might serve as a potential prognostic factor.

The effect of Chinese herbal medicine“heche assisted pregnancy recipe”on endometrial estrogen and progesterone receptor,proliferating cell nuclear antigen and vascular endothelial growth factor in the patients with infertility

Objectives:To investigate the effect of Chinese herbal medicine"heche assisted preg-nancy recipe (HCAPR)" on estrogen receptor(ER), progesterone receptor (PR), pro-lifierating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)in endometrium of infertile women.Methods: The S-P immunohistochemical assay was used to observe expression ofER, PR , PCNA and VEGF in late proliferative phase before and after the HCAPR treat-ment.Results: After the treatment, the expression of ER,PR,PCNA and VEGF in nucleiof glandular epithelium and stromal cells was significantly stronger (all P＜0. 001) re-spectively than that before treatment , especially the expression of PCNA and VEGF.Conclusions: These results suggest that traditional Chinese medicine HCAPR oftonifying kidney and regulating menstruation increased the synthesis of ER,PR, PCNAand VEGF, which may promote normal growth and development of the endometrium ,improve the micro-environment of the endometrium, and enhance uterine receptivity.The evidence may provide theoretical basis for therapy infertility with Chinese herbalmedicine.

Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and its two receptors in normal human endometrium

Objectives: We try to demonstrate the expression of vascular endothelial growthfactor (VEGF) and its receptors, flt-1 and KDR, in normal human emdometrium duringthe menstrual cycle.Methods: Immunohistochemical method was used to observe the expression ofVEGF and its two receptors in emdometrium throughout the normal menstrual cyclemeanwhile the isoforms of VEGF were also detected by Western blot analysis. The en-dothelial cells of micro-vessels were marked with Ⅷ factor antibody.Results: VEGF and its receptors existed in endometrial glandular, stromal and vas-cular endothelial cells of human endometrium. Their expressions were higher in the mid-secretory phase of menstrual cycle and highest at menstruation. VEGF121 and VEGF165were the predominant isoforms in normal human endometrium.Conclusion: The expression of VEGF and its two receptors showed cycle-dependentin human endometrium, probably involved in embryonic implantation and endometrialproliferation and differentiation.

Expression and significance of pigment epithelium-derived factor and vascular endothelial growth factor in colorectal adenoma and cancer

BACKGROUND The incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer(CRC)are among the highest in the world,and its occurrence and development are closely related to tumor neovascularization.When the balance between pigment epithelium-derived factors(PEDF)that inhibit angiogenesis and vascular endothelial growth factors(VEGF)that stimulate angiogenesis is broken,angiogenesis is out of control,resulting in tumor development.Therefore,it is very necessary to find more therapeutic targets for CRC for early intervention and later treatment.AIM To investigate the expression and significance of PEDF,VEGF,and CD31-stained microvessel density values(CD31-MVD)in normal colorectal mucosa,adenoma,and CRC.METHODS In this case-control study,we collected archived wax blocks of specimens from the Digestive Endoscopy Center and the General Surgery Department of Chengdu Second People's Hospital from April 2022 to October 2022.Fifty cases of specimen wax blocks were selected as normal intestinal mucosa confirmed by electronic colonoscopy and concurrent biopsy(normal control group),50 cases of specimen wax blocks were selected as colorectal adenoma confirmed by electronic colonoscopy and pathological biopsy(adenoma group),and 50 cases of specimen wax blocks were selected as CRC confirmed by postoperative pathological biopsy after inpatient operation of general surgery(CRC group).An immunohistochemical staining experiment was carried out to detect PEDF and VEGF expression in three groups of specimens,analyze their differences,study the relationship between the two and clinicopathological factors in CRC group,record CD31-MVD in the three groups,and analyze the correlation of PEDF,VEGF,and CD31-MVD in the colorectal adenoma group and the CRC group.The F test or adjusted F test is used to analyze measurement data statistically.Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test was used between groups for ranked data.The chi-square test,adjusted chi-square test,or Fisher's exact test were used to compare the rates between groups.All differences between groups were compared using the Bonferroni method for multiple comparisons.Spearman correlation analysis was used to test the correlation of the data.The test level(α)was 0.05,and a two-sided P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.RESULTS The positive expression rate and expression intensity of PEDF were gradually decreased in the normal control group,adenoma group,and CRC group(100%vs 78%vs 50%,χ^(2)=34.430,P<0.001;++~++vs+~++vs-~+,H=94.059,P<0.001),while VEGF increased gradually(0%vs 68%vs 96%,χ^(2)=98.35,P<0.001;-vs-~+vs++~+++,H=107.734,P<0.001).In the CRC group,the positive expression rate of PEDF decreased with the increase of differen-tiation degree,invasion depth,lymph node metastasis,distant metastasis,and TNM stage(χ^(2)=20.513,4.160,5.128,6.349,5.128,P<0.05);the high expression rate of VEGF was the opposite(χ^(2)=10.317,13.134,17.643,21.844,17.643,P<0.05).In the colorectal adenoma group,the expression intensity of PEDF correlated negatively with CD31-MVD(r=-0.601,P<0.001),whereas VEGF was not significantly different(r=0.258,P=0.07).In the CRC group,the expression intensity of PEDF correlated negatively with the expression intensity of CD31-MVD and VEGF(r=-0.297,P<0.05;r=-0.548,P<0.05),while VEGF expression intensity was positively related to CD31-MVD(r=0.421,P=0.002).CONCLUSION It is possible that PEDF can be used as a new treatment and prevention target for CRC by upregulating the expression of PEDF while inhibiting the expression of VEGF.

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha and vascular endothelial growth factor in Glioblastoma Multiforme:a systematic review going beyond pathologic implications

Glioblastoma multiforme(GBM)is an aggressive primary brain tumor characterized by extensive heterogeneity and vascular proliferation.Hypoxic conditions in the tissue microenvironment are considered a pivotal player leading tumor progression.Specifically,hypoxia is known to activate inducible factors,such as hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha(HIF-1α),which in turn can stimulate tumor neo-angiogenesis through activation of various downward mediators,such as the vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF).Here,we aimed to explore the role of HIF-1α/VEGF immunophenotypes alone and in combination with other prognostic markers or clinical and image analysis data,as potential biomarkers of GBM prognosis and treatment efficacy.We performed a systematic review(Medline/Embase,and Pubmed database search was completed by 16th of April 2024 by two independent teams;PRISMA 2020).We evaluated methods of immunoassays,cell viability,or animal or patient survival methods of the retrieved studies to assess unbiased data.We used inclusion criteria,such as the evaluation of GBM prognosis based on HIF-1α/VEGF expression,other biomarkers or clinical and imaging manifestations in GBM related to HIF-1α/VEGF expression,application of immunoassays for protein expression,and evaluation of the effectiveness of GBM therapeutic strategies based on HIF-1α/VEGF expression.We used exclusion criteria,such as data not reporting both HIF-1αand VEGF or prognosis.We included 50 studies investigating in total 1319 GBM human specimens,18 different cell lines or GBM-derived stem cells,and 6 different animal models,to identify the association of HIF-1α/VEGF immunophenotypes,and with other prognostic factors,clinical and macroscopic data in GBM prognosis and therapeutic approaches.We found that increased HIF-1α/VEGF expression in GBM correlates with oncogenic factors,such as miR-210-3p,Oct4,AKT,COX-2,PDGF-C,PLDO3,M2 polarization,or ALK,leading to unfavorable survival.Reduced HIF-1α/VEGF expression correlates with FIH-1,ADNP,or STAT1 upregulation,as well as with clinical manifestations,like epileptogenicity,and a favorable prognosis of GBM.Based on our data,HIF-1αor VEGF immunophenotypes may be a useful tool to clarify MRI-PET imaging data distinguishing between GBM tumor progression and pseudoprogression.Finally,HIF-1α/VEGF immunophenotypes can reflect GBM treatment efficacy,including combined first-line treatment with histone deacetylase inhibitors,thimerosal,or an active metabolite of irinotecan,as well as STAT3 inhibitors alone,and resulting in a favorable tumor prognosis and patient survival.These data were supported by a combination of variable methods used to evaluate HIF-1α/VEGF immunophenotypes.Data limitations may include the use of less sensitive detection methods in some cases.Overall,our data support HIF-1α/VEGF’s role as biomarkers of GBM prognosis and treatment efficacy.

Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs combined with laser photocoagulation maintain retinal ganglion cell integrity in patients with diabetic macular edema: study protocol for a prospective, non-randomized, controlled clinical trial

The integrity of retinal ganglion cells is tightly associated with diabetic macular degeneration that leads to damage and death of retinal ganglion cells,affecting vision.The major clinical treatments for diabetic macular edema are anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs and laser photocoagulation.However,although the macular thickness can be normalized with each of these two therapies used alone,the vision does not improve in many patients.This might result from the incomplete recovery of retinal ganglion cell injury.Therefore,a prospective,non-randomized,controlled clinical trial was designed to investigate the effect of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs combined with laser photocoagulation on the integrity of retinal ganglion cells in patients with diabetic macular edema and its relationship with vision recovery.In this trial,150 patients with diabetic macular edema will be equally divided into three groups according to therapeutic methods,followed by treatment with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs,laser photocoagulation therapy,and their combination.All patients will be followed up for 12 months.The primary outcome measure is retinal ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thickness at 12 months after treatment.The secondary outcome measures include retinal ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thickness before and 1,3,6,and 9 months after treatment,retinal nerve fiber layer thickness,best-corrected visual acuity,macular area thickness,and choroidal thickness before and 1,3,6,9,and 12 months after treatment.Safety measure is the incidence of adverse events at 1,3,6,9,and 12 months after treatment.The study protocol hopes to validate the better efficacy and safety of the combined treatment in patients with diabetic macula compared with the other two monotherapies alone during the 12-month follow-up period.The trial is designed to focus on clarifying the time-effect relationship between imaging measures related to the integrity of retinal ganglion cells and best-corrected visual acuity.The trial protocol was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Hospital of Beihua University with approval No.(2023)(26)on April 25,2023,and was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry(registration number:ChiCTR2300072478,June 14,2023,protocol version:2.0).