American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology
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Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell Mol. Physiol. · Jun 2003
Comparative StudyRole of VEGF-B in the lung during development of chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension.
Angiogenic factors exert protective effects on the lung. To investigate the effect of VEGF-B, a factor coexpressed in the lung with VEGF-A, we assessed chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension in VEGF-B knockout mice (VEGF-B-/-) and in rats with lung overexpression of VEGF-B induced by adenovirus transfer. No significant difference in pulmonary hemodynamics, right ventricular hypertrophy, distal vessel muscularization, or vascular density was found between VEGF-B-/- and control mice after 3 wk of hypoxia. ⋯ VEGF-B(186). Endogenous VEGF-B does not counteract the development of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. However, when overexpressed in the lung, VEGF-B can be as potent as VEGF-A in attenuating pulmonary hypertension, although it has no effect on eNOS expression or vascular permeability.