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Updated: Aug 19, 2026
A Simple Bioassay for the Evaluation of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
Published on: March 15, 2016
Modulation of the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in human fibroblasts
Michael P Diamond1, Eslam El-Hammady, Adnan Munkarah
1Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University/Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, MI 48201, USA. mdiamond@med.wayne.edu
Objective:
To examine the up-regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression by hypoxia, a crucial event leading to neovascularization, as the reduction in VEGF expression may facilitate minimization of adhesion development.
Design:
Prospective experimental study.
Setting:
University medical center.
Patient(S):
Five patients with adhesions undergoing laparotomy with excision of adhesions and normal peritoneum.
Intervention(S):
Adhesion and normal peritoneal fibroblasts were treated with dichloroacetic acid (DCA) or NS-398 (a cyclooxygenase-2 [COX-2] inhibitor) for 24 to 48 hours.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
A real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to quantify relative changes in mRNA levels of VEGF from each treatment.
Result(S):
In both normal peritoneal and adhesion fibroblasts, VEGF mRNA was present with statistically significantly higher levels in adhesion fibroblasts (32%). The DCA treatment resulted in a statistically significant decrease in VEGF mRNA levels in adhesion (20%) and normal peritoneal (18%) fibroblasts. The NS-398 treatment resulted in a statistically significant decrease in VEGF mRNA levels in adhesion (25%) and normal peritoneal (16%) fibroblasts.
Conclusion(S):
Stimulation of aerobic metabolism by DCA or inhibition of COX-2 by NS-398 reduces VEGF expression. Angiogenesis, which is an integral component in the development of dense vascular adhesions, may be reduced by either COX-2 inhibitors or stimulation of aerobic metabolism by DCA.
