Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Vascular endothelial growth factor induced by hypoxia may mediate hypoxia-initiated angiogenesis

Abstract

INEFFICIENT vascular supply and the resultant reduction in tissue oxygen tension often lead to neovascularization in order to satisfy the needs of the tissue1. Examples include the compensatory development of collateral blood vessels in ischaemic tissues that are otherwise quiescent for angiogenesis and angiogenesis associated with the healing of hypoxic wounds2. But the presumptive hypoxia-induced angiogenic factors that mediate this feedback response have not been identified. Here we show that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF; also known as vascular permeability factor) probably functions as a hypoxia-inducible angiogenic factor. VEGF messenger RNA levels are dramatically increased within a few hours of exposing different cell cultures to hypoxia and return to background when normal oxygen supply is resumed. In situ analysis of tumour specimens undergoing neovascularization show that the production of VEGF is specifically induced in a subset of glioblastoma cells distinguished by their immediate proximity to necrotic foci (presumably hypoxic regions) and the clustering of capillaries alongside VEGF-producing cells.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Adair, T. A., Gay, W. J. & Montani, J.-P. Am. J. Physiol. 259, R393–R404 (1990).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Knighton, D. R. et al. Science 221, 1283–1285 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Folkman, J. Adv. Cancer Res. 43, 175–202 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Hirano, A. & Matsui, T. Hum. Path. 6, 611–621 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Jellinger, K. Acta neurochirurgica 42, 5–32 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Connolly, D. T. et al. J. clin. Invest. 84, 1470–1478 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Leung, D. W., Cachianes, G., Kuang, W.-J., Goeddel, D. V. & Ferrara, N. Science 246, 1306–1309 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Gospodarowicz, D., Abraham, J. A. & Schilling, J. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 7311–7315 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Ferrara, N. & Henzel, W. Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun. 161, 851–858 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Conn, J. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 87, 1323–1327 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Burger, P. C., Vogel, F. S., Green, S. B. & Strike, T. A. Cancer 56, 1106–1111 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Dvorak, H. F. et al. J. exp. Med. 174, 1275–1278 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Tischler, E. et al. J. biol. Chem. 266, 11947–11954 (1991).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Ferrara, N., Houck, K. A., Jakeman, L. B., Winer, J. & Leung, D. W. J. cell Biochem. 47, 211–218 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Jakeman, L. B., Winer, J., Bennett, G. L., Altar, A. & Ferrara, N. J. clin. Invest. 89, 244–253 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. D'Amore, P. A. & Thompson, R. W. A. Rev. Physiol. 49, 453–464 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Vlodavsky, I. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84, 2292–2296 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Kourembanas, S., Hannan, R. I. & Faller, D. V. J. clin. Invest. 86, 670–674 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Rondon, I. J. et al. J. biol. Chem. 266, 16594–16598 (1991).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Knighton, D., Schumerth, S. & Fiegel, V. in Current Communications in Molecular Biology (eds Rifkin, D. B. & Klagsbrun, M.) 150–154 (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, New York, 1987).

    Google Scholar 

  21. Senger, D. R. et al. Science 219, 983–985 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Keck, P. J. et al. Science 246, 1309–1312 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Kinasewitz, G., Groome, L., Marshall, R., Leslie, W. & Diana, H. J. appl. Physiol. 61, 554–560 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Olsen, S. P. Brain Res. 368, 24–29 (1986).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Motro, B., Itin, A., Sachs, L. & Keshet, E. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 87, 3092–3096 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Bonthron, D. et al. Nucleic Acids Res. 14, 7125–7127 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Benda, P., Lightbody, J., Sato, G., Levine, L. & Sweet, W. Science 161, 370–371 (1968).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Yaffe, D. & Saxel, O. Differentiation 7, 159–166 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Chrigwin, J. M. Przbyla, A. E., McDonald, R. T. & Rutter, W. J. Biochemistry 18, 5294–5299 (1979).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Minty, A. J. et al. J. biol. Chem. 256, 1008–1014 (1981).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Shweiki, D., Itin, A., Soffer, D. et al. Vascular endothelial growth factor induced by hypoxia may mediate hypoxia-initiated angiogenesis. Nature 359, 843–845 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1038/359843a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/359843a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing