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Thromb Haemost 2004; 91(03): 595-605
DOI: 10.1160/TH03-09-0582
Endothelium and Vascular Development
Schattauer GmbH

Impaired brain angiogenesis and neuronal apoptosis induced by conditional homozygous inactivation of vascular endothelial growth factor

Sabine Raab
1   Max-Planck-Institut für physiologische und klinische Forschung, Bad Nauheim, Germany
,
Heike Beck
2   Neurologisches Institut der Universität, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
,
Andreas Gaumann
1   Max-Planck-Institut für physiologische und klinische Forschung, Bad Nauheim, Germany
,
Ali Yüce
3   Universitätsklinikum, Giessen, Germany
,
Hans-Peter Gerber
4   Genentech, San Francisco, California, USA
,
Karl Plate
2   Neurologisches Institut der Universität, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
,
Hans-Peter Hammes
5   V. Medizinische Klinik, Mannheim, Germany
,
Napoleone Ferrara
4   Genentech, San Francisco, California, USA
,
Georg Breier
1   Max-Planck-Institut für physiologische und klinische Forschung, Bad Nauheim, Germany
6   Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus an der TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
› Author AffiliationsFinancial support: This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG-Br 1336/1-1).
Further Information

Publication History

Received 22 September 2003

Accepted after revision 16 February 2003

Publication Date:
05 December 2017 (online)

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Summary

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is essential for the differentiation of the primitive embryonic vascular system and has been implicated in the vascularization of organs. Recently, VEGF has also been proposed to play a role in neural development, neuroprotection, and adult neurogenesis. Here we have investigated the function of VEGF in the developing brain by cre-lox technology. We show that VEGF produced by the embryonic neuroectoderm is required for the vascularization and the development of the brain. Both the invasion and the directed growth of capillaries were severely impaired in the fore-, midand hindbrain of VEGFlox/lox/nestin-cre mouse embryos homozygous for a VEGF mutation in the neural tube. These observations demonstrate thatVEGF, via local secretion by neural progenitors, induces brain angiogenesis and guides the growth of capillaries toward the ventricular zone. VEGF deficiency led to developmental retardation and progressive destruction of neural tissue in all brain regions.The defect was most pronounced in telencephalic structures, such as the hippocampus, and caused microcephaly.Taken together, the findings establish the critical importance of neuroectoderm-derived VEGF in the morphogenesis of the brain. VEGF acts as a key regulator of brain angiogenesis and provides instructive cues for the correct spatial organization of the vasculature.

Keywords

Angiogenesis - brain development - microcephaly - retina - VEGF
 

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