Abstract
Urotensin-II (U-II) is an endogenous peptide recently characterized as a "nonclassic" pro-angiogenic cytokine. In fact, human vascular endothelial cells express the U-II receptor and exhibit a strong in vitro angiogenic response to the peptide, which was specifically triggered by the binding of U-II to its receptor and involved the activation of ERK1/2 and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. Moreover, available studies, designed to investigate the pro-angiogenic effect quite shortly following U-II stimulation, suggested that the angiogenic action of the peptide was direct and not associated with an increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and/or its receptors. In the present study, the expression of three pro-angiogenic factors, namely VEGF, endothelin-1, and adrenomedullin, was studied in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) for longer times of U-II stimulation. RT-PCR and Western blot indicated that in HUVEC, exposed for at least 24. h to U-II, the expression of the three angiogenic molecules was significantly increased at both mRNA and protein level, opening the possibility that U-II, not only could exert a direct stimulation of an angiogenic phenotype in endothelial cells quite shortly following exposure to the peptide, but could also further enhance the process indirectly by inducing in the cells a delayed production of other pro-angiogenic factors. Interestingly, a preliminary analysis of the time course of the in vitro capillary-like pattern formation was consistent with this view, suggesting a two phase temporal dynamics of the process.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 16-22 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Regulatory Peptides |
| Volume | 172 |
| Issue number | 1-3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Dec 10 2011 |
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Keywords
- Angiogenesis
- Angiogenic factors
- Human endothelial cells
- Urotensin-II
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry
- Clinical Biochemistry
- Endocrinology
- Physiology
- Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Cite this
Urotensin-II-stimulated expression of pro-angiogenic factors in human vascular endothelial cells. / Albertin, Giovanna; Guidolin, Diego; Sorato, Elisa; Oselladore, Barbara; Tortorella, Cinzia; Ribatti, Domenico.
In: Regulatory Peptides, Vol. 172, No. 1-3, 10.12.2011, p. 16-22.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Urotensin-II-stimulated expression of pro-angiogenic factors in human vascular endothelial cells
AU - Albertin, Giovanna
AU - Guidolin, Diego
AU - Sorato, Elisa
AU - Oselladore, Barbara
AU - Tortorella, Cinzia
AU - Ribatti, Domenico
PY - 2011/12/10
Y1 - 2011/12/10
N2 - Urotensin-II (U-II) is an endogenous peptide recently characterized as a "nonclassic" pro-angiogenic cytokine. In fact, human vascular endothelial cells express the U-II receptor and exhibit a strong in vitro angiogenic response to the peptide, which was specifically triggered by the binding of U-II to its receptor and involved the activation of ERK1/2 and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. Moreover, available studies, designed to investigate the pro-angiogenic effect quite shortly following U-II stimulation, suggested that the angiogenic action of the peptide was direct and not associated with an increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and/or its receptors. In the present study, the expression of three pro-angiogenic factors, namely VEGF, endothelin-1, and adrenomedullin, was studied in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) for longer times of U-II stimulation. RT-PCR and Western blot indicated that in HUVEC, exposed for at least 24. h to U-II, the expression of the three angiogenic molecules was significantly increased at both mRNA and protein level, opening the possibility that U-II, not only could exert a direct stimulation of an angiogenic phenotype in endothelial cells quite shortly following exposure to the peptide, but could also further enhance the process indirectly by inducing in the cells a delayed production of other pro-angiogenic factors. Interestingly, a preliminary analysis of the time course of the in vitro capillary-like pattern formation was consistent with this view, suggesting a two phase temporal dynamics of the process.
AB - Urotensin-II (U-II) is an endogenous peptide recently characterized as a "nonclassic" pro-angiogenic cytokine. In fact, human vascular endothelial cells express the U-II receptor and exhibit a strong in vitro angiogenic response to the peptide, which was specifically triggered by the binding of U-II to its receptor and involved the activation of ERK1/2 and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. Moreover, available studies, designed to investigate the pro-angiogenic effect quite shortly following U-II stimulation, suggested that the angiogenic action of the peptide was direct and not associated with an increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and/or its receptors. In the present study, the expression of three pro-angiogenic factors, namely VEGF, endothelin-1, and adrenomedullin, was studied in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) for longer times of U-II stimulation. RT-PCR and Western blot indicated that in HUVEC, exposed for at least 24. h to U-II, the expression of the three angiogenic molecules was significantly increased at both mRNA and protein level, opening the possibility that U-II, not only could exert a direct stimulation of an angiogenic phenotype in endothelial cells quite shortly following exposure to the peptide, but could also further enhance the process indirectly by inducing in the cells a delayed production of other pro-angiogenic factors. Interestingly, a preliminary analysis of the time course of the in vitro capillary-like pattern formation was consistent with this view, suggesting a two phase temporal dynamics of the process.
KW - Angiogenesis
KW - Angiogenic factors
KW - Human endothelial cells
KW - Urotensin-II
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=80053571192&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=80053571192&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.regpep.2011.08.001
DO - 10.1016/j.regpep.2011.08.001
M3 - Article
C2 - 21871928
AN - SCOPUS:80053571192
VL - 172
SP - 16
EP - 22
JO - Regulatory Peptides
JF - Regulatory Peptides
SN - 0167-0115
IS - 1-3
ER -