The Roles of Growth Factor Interactions and Mechanical Tension in Angiogenesis

Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels from preexisting ones through creation of new vessel branch points by sprouting or vessel splitting, is an important part of tissue growth in both physiological processes like wound healing and pathological conditions such as cancer. Growth factors like VEGF-A, FGF-2 and PDGF-BB are involved in both types of angiogenesis. Screening for genes regulated by VEGF-A stimulation in endothelial cells revealed up regulation of the endothelial cell specific glycoprotein endocan. Endocan itself did not stimulate angiogenesis. VEGF was a specific inducer since FGF-2, PDGF-BB, HGF and EGF did not alter expression. The signaling molecule PI3K was a negative regulator of endocan expression. Endocan was expressed in tumor cells and vessels, suggesting that although endocan did not directly regulate angiogenesis it can serve as a marker for angiogenic tumors. In two models of wound healing angiogenesis, the chick extra-embryonal CAM assay and the mouse cornea assay, we observed that blood vessels grew into avascular areas as functional mural cell covered loops by elongation of preexisting vessels. Loop formation was simultaneous with contraction of the avascular matrix mediated by proto/myofibroblasts. Reducing the contractibility of the stroma reduced vessel ingrowth, showing that contraction was necessary for mediating and directing growth of the vascular loops. These findings suggest a model for biomechanical regulation of vascularization that is complementary to sprouting angiogenesis which is guided by gradients of growth factors. In defining the role of growth factors, in the CAM assay, we found that FGF-2 and PDGF-BB induced vessel ingrowth, while VEGF-A, EGF and HGF did not. TGF-beta reduced the effect of FGF-2. By use of specific receptor kinase inhibitors we found an absolute requirement VEGF- and PDGF-receptor activity for vascularization while FGF- and TGF-beta-receptor function was dispensable. This suggests that functional VEGF- and PDGF-receptors are needed for vessel elongation.