Vascular endothelial growth factor is an autocrine growth factor for hair dermal papilla cells.

The transition of the late anagen to the catagen phase is concomitant with the disappearance of perifollicular capillaries, and therefore cyclical hair growth might depend on the ability of the dermal papilla to synthesize and release soluble growth and differentiation factors toward pre-existing capillaries. We characterized an angiogenic growth factor in the conditioned medium of dermal papilla cells indistinguishable from vascular endothelial growth factor as judged by biochemical and immunologic criteria. In addition, these cells bind vascular endothelial, growth factor on two binding sites and proliferate or migrate in the presence of this growth factor.

Vasculotropin/vascular endothelial growth factor is an autocrine growth factor for human retinal pigment epithelial cells cultured in vitro.

Vasculotropin (VAS), also called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) or vascular permeability factor, is a secreted growth factor whose target cell specificity has been reported as restricted to vascular endothelium. Its effects are mediated by at least two distinct membrane-spanning tyrosine kinase receptors, KDR and flt-1; the expression of which also seems restricted to vascular endothelium. We describe here that cultured human retinal pigment epithelial (HRPE) cells express both KDR and flt-1 receptors, bind VAS/VEGF on two high affinity sites (apparent Kd of 9 and 210 pM corresponding to 940 and 18,800 sites per cell) and proliferate or migrate upon recombinant VAS/VEGF addition.

Inhibition of basic fibroblast growth factor and vasculotropin biological activities on cultured cells by almitrine.

Autonomous cell growth may result from interactions of cellular growth factors with their receptors leading to the establishment of external or internal autocrine loops which can induce tumor formation. Tumor progression above a small volume also requires an increase in blood supply. This is achieved by the release from the tumor of angiogenic growth factors which diffuse toward preexisting capillaries.

Interaction of vasculotropin/vascular endothelial cell growth factor with human umbilical vein endothelial cells: binding, internalization, degradation, and biological effects.

Vasculotropin/vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VAS/VEGF) is a newly purified growth factor with a unique specificity for vascular endothelial cells. We have investigated the interactions of VAS/VEGF with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVE cells). 125I-VAS/VEGF was found to HUVE cells in a saturable manner with a half-maximum binding at 2.

[Vasculotropin: a new angiogenic growth factor].

A new growth factor, provisionally named vasculotropin (VAS), with a unique specificity for vascular endothelial cells has been purified to homogeneity. VAS is a 45 kDa glycosylated homodimeric protein. Cloning of the VAS gene has evidenced a sequence homology with A and B chains of Platelet-Derived Growth Factor.