Placental growth factor deficiency is associated with impaired cerebral vascular development in mice

Abstract

This work was supported by awards from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Canada Research Chairs Program and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation to B.A.C. and by training awards from the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq), Brazil to R.L.L.; Queen's University to V.R.K. and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to M.T.R. The work of P.C. is supported by the Belgian Science Policy BELSPO-IUAP7/03, Structural funding by the Flemish Government-Methusalem funding, and the Flemish Science Fund-FWO grants. There were no competing interests.

LncRNA‐FENDRR mediates VEGFA to promote the apoptosis of brain microvascular endothelial cells via regulating miR‐126 in mice with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage

“…VEGFA, a number of VEGF families, plays a vital regulatory role on the survival, migration, proliferation, and permeability of vascular endothelial cells in angiogenesis of physiological and pathological processes . Various articles have reported that VEGFA was involved in therapy of many kinds of cerebrovascular disease . In our study, downregulation of VEGFA also could attenuate the apoptosis of HBMECs.…”

Diffusion Tensor Imaging of White Matter in Children Born from Preeclamptic Gestations

“…25 PGF is expressed in all stages of mouse and human preimplantation embryos and throughout brain development. 26,27 In women who proceed to PE, subnormal maternal plasma levels of PGF, predominantly a placental product, are reported by the end of first trimester when significant elevations first appear in healthy pregnancies. 28,29 Consistent with this finding, PGF was deficient in the available term plasma samples of the mothers of the children studied in this report while soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 and soluble endoglin were comparable (n ϭ 4 PE/8 controls).…”

Influences of placental growth factor on mouse retinal vascular development

“…The altered features (decreased angiogenesis, increased maturity of the existing plexus and changed vessel organization) are likely to apply more broadly to the cerebral vasculature. In our previous studies, fetal Pgf ‐/‐ hindbrain had decreased angiogenesis versus matched B6 controls and the Pgf ‐/‐ circle of Willis had reduced vascular connectivity (Luna et al, ). Our observation of retinal vascular changes that persist into adulthood supports the potential for brain PGF deficiency to predispose to stroke, altered vascular dimensions and cognitive impairments, as reported for PE‐F1s (Kajantie et al, ; Tuovinen et al, ; Rätsep et al, ).…”

“…PGF is expressed at all stages of brain development by vascular and neurological cells (Lein et al, ; Miller et al, ). In fetal mice lacking PGF ( Pgf ‐/‐ ) hindbrain vascularization and growth are delayed at midpregnancy while vascular connectivity and complexity of the circle of Willis are decreased (Luna et al, ). Adult Pgf ‐/‐ exposed to carotid artery occlusion exhibited decreased cerebral blood flow and increased susceptibility to stroke compared with congenic controls (Luna et al, ).…”

“…In fetal mice lacking PGF ( Pgf ‐/‐ ) hindbrain vascularization and growth are delayed at midpregnancy while vascular connectivity and complexity of the circle of Willis are decreased (Luna et al, ). Adult Pgf ‐/‐ exposed to carotid artery occlusion exhibited decreased cerebral blood flow and increased susceptibility to stroke compared with congenic controls (Luna et al, ). PGF has complex roles in the processes of angiogenesis and vascular maturation.…”