[Effect of inflammatory cytokines and oxidized low density lipoprotein on vascular endothelial growth factor...

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), also known as vascular permeability factor, is a specific mitogen for vascular endothelial cells and causes neovascularization and capillary hyperpermeability. We previously found large amounts of VEGF peptide in areas with many macrophage-derived foam cells adjacent to the lipid core of human atherosclerotic plaques and in basal regions of plaque consisting predominantly of smooth muscle cells. In the present study, we examined the role of inflammatory cytokines and oxidative modified low density lipoprotein (OX-LDL) in the expression of macrophage VEGF. Interleukin 1 beta and tumor necrosis factor alpha upregulated the expression of VEGF mRNA in a macrophage cell line (RAW264). In addition, OX-LDL also upregulated the expression of VEGF mRNA in these cells in a time-dependent and a dose-dependent dependent manner, and there was an increase in the levels of VEGF protein in the conditioned medium. These results suggest that VEGF expression may be upregulated in atherosclerotic lesions and that VEGF may play a role in the development of atherosclerosis.