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Cdc42-mediated inhibition of GSK-3? improves angio-architecture and lumen formation during VEGF-driven pathological angiogenesis.

ABSTRACT: Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF) typically induces abnormal angiogenesis in the adult, thereby aggravating disease pathology and limiting utility of VEGF for therapeutic angiogenesis. To identify strategies for rectifying defects in pathological VEGF neovessels, we investigated consequences of modulating the Rho GTPase Cdc42. In a mouse skin model of VEGF-driven pathological angiogenesis, transduction with active Cdc42 (L28Cdc42) markedly improved VEGF neovessels, as measured by increased lumen formation, enlarged vessel diameter, and enhanced perfusion of macromolecular tracers. Conversely, transduction with dominant negative Cdc42 (N17Cdc42) impaired endothelial cell (EC) assembly into lumenized blood vessels and reduced neovessel diameter and tracer perfusion. In vitro, active Cdc42 improved coordination between actin filaments and microtubules and enhanced formation of vascular cords, suggesting that active Cdc42 rectifies defects in angiogenesis by improving cytoskeletal dynamics and capillary morphogenesis. Analyses of Cdc42 signaling in microvascular ECs indicated that active Cdc42 also inhibits glycogen synthase kinase-3? (GSK-3?), a multi-functional serine/threonine protein kinase. Pharmacological inhibition of GSK-3? improved vascular cord formation in vitro and promoted proper neovessel formation in vivo comparably to active Cdc42, thus linking GSK-3? inhibition to the mechanism by which active Cdc42 rectifies pathological neovascularization. These studies identify activation of Cdc42 and inhibition of GSK-3? as novel strategies for correcting abnormalities associated with VEGF-driven angiogenesis, and they suggest new approaches for achieving improved therapeutic neovascularization with VEGF.

SUBMITTER: Hoang MV

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3021179 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Cdc42-mediated inhibition of GSK-3β improves angio-architecture and lumen formation during VEGF-driven pathological angiogenesis.

Hoang Mien V MV Nagy Janice A JA Senger Donald R DR

Microvascular research 20100916 1

Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF) typically induces abnormal angiogenesis in the adult, thereby aggravating disease pathology and limiting utility of VEGF for therapeutic angiogenesis. To identify strategies for rectifying defects in pathological VEGF neovessels, we investigated consequences of modulating the Rho GTPase Cdc42. In a mouse skin model of VEGF-driven pathological angiogenesis, transduction with active Cdc42 (L28Cdc42) markedly improved VEGF neovessels, as measured by incre ...[more]

PMID: 20849862

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Project description:BackgroundSuccessful neovascularization requires that sprouting endothelial cells (ECs) integrate to form new vascular networks. However, architecturally defective, poorly integrated vessels with blind ends are typical of pathological angiogenesis induced by vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF), thereby limiting the utility of VEGF for therapeutic angiogenesis and aggravating ischemia-related pathologies. Here we investigated the possibility that over-exuberant calpain activity is responsible for aberrant VEGF neovessel architecture and integration. Calpains are a family of intracellular calcium-dependent, non-lysosomal cysteine proteases that regulate cellular functions through proteolysis of numerous substrates.Methodology/principal findingsIn a mouse skin model of VEGF-driven angiogenesis, retroviral transduction with dominant-negative (DN) calpain-I promoted neovessel integration and lumen formation, reduced blind ends, and improved vascular perfusion. Moderate doses of calpain inhibitor-I improved VEGF-driven angiogenesis similarly to DN calpain-I. Conversely, retroviral transduction with wild-type (WT) calpain-I abolished neovessel integration and lumen formation. In vitro, moderate suppression of calpain activity with DN calpain-I or calpain inhibitor-I increased the microtubule-stabilizing protein tau in endothelial cells (ECs), increased the average length of microtubules, increased actin cable length, and increased the interconnectivity of vascular cords. Conversely, WT calpain-I diminished tau, collapsed microtubules, disrupted actin cables, and inhibited integration of cord networks. Consistent with the critical importance of microtubules for vascular network integration, the microtubule-stabilizing agent taxol supported vascular cord integration whereas microtubule dissolution with nocodazole collapsed cord networks.Conclusions/significanceThese findings implicate VEGF-induction of calpain activity and impairment of cytoskeletal dynamics in the failure of VEGF-induced neovessels to form and integrate properly. Accordingly, calpain represents an important target for rectifying key vascular defects associated with pathological angiogenesis and for improving therapeutic angiogenesis with VEGF.

Dataset Information

Cdc42-mediated inhibition of GSK-3? improves angio-architecture and lumen formation during VEGF-driven pathological angiogenesis.

Publications

Cdc42-mediated inhibition of GSK-3β improves angio-architecture and lumen formation during VEGF-driven pathological angiogenesis.

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