Expression of vascular growth factors during the early phase of induced cerebral aneurysm formation in rats / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:Vascular endothelial growth factor and transforming growth factor play a crucial role in embryonic development, wound healing, inflammation, cancer, ischemic hypoxia and other physiological and pathological processes, and participate in the development and progression of brain damage. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the differences in the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and transforming growth factor-α during the early phase of cerebral aneurysm formation in rats. METHODS:Twenty-eight healthy Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into three groups. Sham operation group (n=8) the left carotid artery bifurcation and bilateral renal artery were only exposed, without ligation, and rats were kiled that day. 15 days group (n=10) and 30 days group (n=10) the left common carotid artery, internal carotid artery, external carotid artery and bilateral renal artery were ligated, to establish aneurysm model, and rats were kiled at 15 and 30 days, respectively. The bilateral sides of the anterior cerebral artery/olfactory artery bifurcations were harvested and observed under light microscopy for pathological changes. Immunohistological staining was performed to detect the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and transforming growth factor-α. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The results showed that, no aneurysm formed in the sham operation group and 15 days group. In the 30 days group, one saccular aneurysm and five early aneurysm-like changes were found in the right anterior cerebral artery/olfactory artery bifurcations. In the sham operation group and 15 days group, no vascular endothelial growth factor was expressed. In the 30 days group, the positive rate of vascular endothelial growth factor was up to 80%, indicating that vascular endothelial growth factor is possibly involved in the formation of aneurysm. Transforming growth factor-α expression in the sham operation group and 15 days group was more apparent than that in the 30 days group, indicating that transforming growth factor-α is damaged or secretion is reduced in this process, which was possibly related to the formation of aneurysm.