Abstract-This study tested the hypothesis that coronary tubulogenesis and coronary artery formation require VEGF family members. Quail embryos were injected with soluble vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors R1 (Flt-1), R2 (Flk-1), R3 (Flt-4), VEGF-Trap (a chimera of R1 and R2), or neutralizing antibodies to VEGF-A, VEGF-B, or fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2. Our data document that tubulogenesis is temporally dependent on multiple VEGF family members, because the early stage of tubulogenesis was markedly inhibited by VEGF-Trap and to a lesser extent by soluble VEGFR-1. Some inhibition of tubulogenesis was documented when anti-FGF-2, but not anti-VEGF-A, antibodies were injected at embryonic day 6 (E6). Most importantly, we found that VEGF-Trap injected at either E6 or E7 prevented the formation of coronary arteries. Soluble VEGFR-1 and soluble VEGFR-2 modified the formation of coronary arteries, whereas soluble VEGFR-3 was without effect. Antibodies to VEGF-B, but not VEGF-A, had a strong inhibitory effect on coronary artery development. The absence of coronary artery stems, and thus a functional coronary circulation, in the embryos injected with VEGF-Trap caused an accumulation of erythrocytes in the subepicardium and muscular interventricular septum. Using retroviral cell tagging, we showed that some of the erythrocytes in blood islands and small vascular tubes were progeny of the proepicardium. Thus, another salient finding of this study is the first definitive documentation of proepicardially derived hemangioblasts, which can differentiate into erythrocytes. 2 ) All of the cells that contribute to the coronary vasculature (endothelial, smooth muscle, pericytes, and fibroblasts) migrate to the heart from the proepicardium, a transitional structure located posterior to the septum transversum. 3,4 The cells of the proepicardial organ form the epicardium and subepicardium and undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (reviewed by Olivey et al 5 ). Recent evidence shows that hematopoietic precursors, ie, CD45 ϩ cells, are also present on the surface of the quail heart in blood islands before vascularization of the myocardium. 6 Migration of angioblasts into the myocardium and their assembly into vascular tubes constitutes the process of vasculogenesis and is followed by tubular expansion via branching (angiogenesis). Subsequent to these events, a capillary-like network (peritruncal ring) surrounding the base of the outflow tract fuses and penetrates the aorta at 2 specific sites, recruits smooth muscle cells, and consequently forms the 2 main coronary arteries. [7][8][9] The remainder of the endothelial strands in contact with the aorta disappear. 10 It is only at this point in time, E8 to E9 in the quail, 10 that the coronary vasculature is perfused by blood from the aorta. The development of a venous system, like that of the capillary network, also develops before the coronary perfusion from the aorta. 1 Thus, these events are not flow dependent.We have documented the roles of several key gr...

Abstract-The roles of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF ) in early postnatal regulation of coronary angiogenesis were investigated by administering neutralizing antibodies to these growth factors between postnatal days 5 and 12. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting both revealed decreases in VEGF protein in the hearts of rats treated with either antibody. In contrast, bFGF mRNA increased in both treated groups, whereas VEGF mRNA was unchanged. Using stereological assessment of perfusion-fixed hearts, we found that both anti-VEGF and anti-bFGF inhibited the rapid and marked capillary growth that occurs during this time period and that the effects of the two neutralizing antibodies are not additive. Arteriolar growth, as indicated by a lower length density, was inhibited by anti-bFGF, but not anti-VEGF. When both anti-VEGF and anti-bFGF were administered, arteriolar length density was not significantly lower, but the population of small arterioles (Ͻ15 m) was markedly reduced, whereas the percentage of large arterioles (26 to 50 m) more than doubled. Thus, inhibition of both growth factors negated or limited the formation of small arterioles and facilitated an expansion of the largest arterioles. These in vivo data are the first to document that during the early neonatal period, (1) both VEGF and bFGF modulate capillary growth, (2) bFGF facilitates arteriolar growth, and (3)

Mechanisms regulating coronary vascularization are not well understood. To test hypotheses regarding the influence of key growth factors and their interactions, we studied vascular tube formation (vasculogenesis) in collagen gels onto which quail embryonic ventricles were placed and incubated in the presence of growth factors or inhibitors. Vasculogenesis in this model is dependent on tyrosine kinase receptors, since tube formation was totally blocked by genestein. Tube formation was attenuated when anti-bFGF or anti-VEGF neutralizing antibodies were added to the medium and nearly completely inhibited when the both were added. The attenuation associated with anti-VEGF was due primarily to a decrease in assembly of endothelial cells, while that associated with bFGF was primarily due to a reduction in endothelial cells. Soluble tie-2, the receptor for angiopoietins, also had an inhibitory effect and, when added with either anti-bFGF or anti-VEGF, markedly attenuated tube formation. At optimal doses, tube formation was enhanced 6.5-fold by bFGF and 2.5-fold by VEGF over the controls. Each of these growth factors was dependent upon the other for optimal induction of tube formation, since neutralizing antibodies to one markedly reduced the potency of the other. VEGF potency was also markedly reduced when soluble tie-2 was added to the medium. Tube formation was virtually totally blocked by exogenous TGF-␤ at doses > 1 ng/ml, while neutralizing TGF-␤ antibodies enhanced tube formation 2-fold in the 30 ng-30 g range. These data provide the first documentation of multiple growth factor regulation of coronary tube formation.

The specific roles of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family members and their receptors (VEGFRs) in coronary vessel formation were studied. By using the quail heart explant model, we found that neutralizing antibodies to VEGF-B or VEGF-C inhibited tube formation on the collagen gel more than anti-VEGF-A. Soluble VEGFR-1, a receptor for VEGF-A and -B, inhibited tube formation by 87%, a finding consistent with that of VEGF-B inhibition. In contrast, addition of soluble VEGFR-2, a receptor for VEGF family members A, C, D, and E, inhibited tube formation by only 43%. Acidic FGF-induced tube formation dependency on VEGF was demonstrated by the attenuating effect of a soluble VEGFR-1 and -2 chimera. The localization of VEGF R-2 and R-3 was demonstrated by in situ hybridization of serial sections, which documented marked accumulations of transcripts for both receptors at the base of the truncus arteriosus coinciding with the temporal and spatial formation of the coronary arteries by means of ingrowth of capillary plexuses. This finding suggests that both VEGFR-2 and R-3 may play a role in the formation of the coronary artery roots. In summary, these experiments document a role for multiple members of the VEGF family and their receptors in formation of the coronary vascular bed.