Journal of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation

 

Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/rsci

Click here to sign up for SAGE Journal Email Alerts today!

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Van Natta, T. L.
Right arrow Articles by Segar, J. L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Van Natta, T. L.
Right arrow Articles by Ralphe, J. C.
Right arrow Articles by Mascio, C. E.
Right arrow Articles by Bedell, K. A.
Right arrow Articles by Scholz, T. D.
Right arrow Articles by Segar, J. L.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
Journal of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation, Vol. 11, No. 8, 503-510 (2004)
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsgi.2004.05.010

Ontogeny of Vascular Growth Factors in Perinatal Sheep Myocardium

Timothy L. Van Natta, MD

J. Carter Ralphe, MD

Christopher E. Mascio, MD

Kurt A. Bedell, BS

Thomas D. Scholz, MD

Departments of Surgery and Pediatrics, and the Cardiovascular Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa

Jeffrey L. Segar, MD

Departments of Surgery and Pediatrics, and the Cardiovascular Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa; Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242 jeffrey-segar{at}uiowa.edu

Objective: To examine developmental changes in myocardial gene expression of previously identified regulators of vascular growth.

Methods: Ovine left (LV) and right ventricle (RV) samples were obtained at four time points: 95 days' and 140 days' gestation (tgerm = 145 days) and 7 days and 8 weeks postnatally. mRNA and protein levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), its respective receptors (Flk-1 and Flt-1), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1), and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) were measured at therent time points.

Results: RV but not LV VEGF mRNA levels decreased postnatally, although VEGF protein expression remained unchanged after birth. Flt-1 mRNA expression was divergent between ventricles, although the protein expression pattern was similar in RV and LV, decreasing with maturation. RV and LV Flk-1 mRNA decreased between 95 days and 140 days, remaining stable therefter, while protein levels only decreased after birth. bFGF protein levels were highest in the LV at 140 days, and decreased after birth but remained unchanged in the RV throught the period examined. TGF-ß1 and eNOS levels were highest early in gestation, decreasing with maturation in both ventricles.

Conclusion: Developmentally regulated ventricle-specific expression of VEGF, Flt-1, Flk-1, TGF-ß1, bFGF, and eNOS was demonstrated in the ovine myocardium. These findings suggest these proteins may participate in coronary pascular remodeling during the perinatal period and underscore the importance of studying the relationships among transcription factors, target genes, and anatomic/physiologic changes in the whole animal.

Key Words: Fetus • sheep • angiogenesis • cardiac growth • development


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?