Increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in pyogenic granulomas.

The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was analysed in biopsy samples from patients with pyogenic granuloma. The results disclosed the presence of a strong VEGF signal in pyogenic granulomas, which are constituted by a vast majority of cells of endothelial lineage. A marked positivity was evident in areas of proliferating endothelial cells without vessel lumen formation.

Disruption of cadherin-related junctions triggers autocrine expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in bovine aortic endothelial cells : effects on cell proliferation and death resistance.

The mechanisms involved in the blockade of proliferation in confluent endothelial cells are insufficiently understood. In this regard, the continuity of intercellular junctions appears to be critical to the regulation of endothelial monolayer cell growth. The present study examined the hypothesis that the disruption of the intercellular adherens junctions will trigger both endothelial cell proliferation and autocrine production of growth factors.