Expression of mRNA for molecules that regulate angiogenesis, endothelial cell survival, and vascular permeability is altered in endothelial cells isolated from db/db mouse hearts

Expression of mRNA for molecules that regulate angiogenesis, endothelial cell survival, and vascular permeability is altered in endothelial cells isolated from db/db mouse hearts | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Expression of mRNA for molecules that regulate angiogenesis, endothelial cell survival, and vascular permeability is altered in endothelial cells isolated from db/db mouse hearts Krzysztof Bartkowiak, Mateusz Bartkowiak, Ewa Jankowska-Steifer, and 5 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4453146/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 24 Sep, 2024 Read the published version in Histochemistry and Cell Biology → Version 1 posted 9 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a condition that includes symptoms such as obesity, hyperglycemia, and hypertension, which elevate the cardiovascular risk. An impaired angiogenic response of endothelial cells (ECs) in heart and peripheral organs has been proposed in MetS, but the mechanisms of this phenomenon have not been explored. Results obtained from evaluating the whole myocardium are inconsistent, since different types of cells react differently to MetS environment. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to study the VEGF/VEGFR molecular pathway, which regulates an angiogenic response and microvascular permeability in ECs isolated from db/db mouse hearts. The expression of mRNAs for VEGF/VEGFR axis proteins was assessed with RT-PCR in ECs isolated from control and db/db mouse myocardium. The density of CD31-, VEGFR2-, and VE-cadherin-positive cells was examined with confocal microscopy, and the ultrastructure of ECs was analyzed with transmission electron microscopy. The aortic ring assay was used to assess the capacity of ECs to respond to angiogenic stimuli. Our results showed a decreased number of microvessels, diminished expression of VE-cadherin and VEGFR2 and widened gaps between the ECs of microcapillaries, although the levels of mRNA for VEGF/VEGFR axis proteins were elevated. The aortic ring assay showed a diminished number of sprouts in db/db mice compared with that in controls. These results may indicate that ECs in MetS enhance the production of mRNA for VEGF/VRGFR axis proteins, yet sprout formation and vascular barrier maintenance are limited. These novel data may provide a foundation for further studies on cardiac angiogenesis in MetS. angiogenesis heart failure VEGF VEGFR endothelial cell blood vessels Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 24 Sep, 2024 Read the published version in Histochemistry and Cell Biology → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 20 Jun, 2024 Reviews received at journal 20 Jun, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 13 Jun, 2024 Reviews received at journal 27 May, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 23 May, 2024 Reviewers invited by journal 23 May, 2024 Editor assigned by journal 22 May, 2024 Submission checks completed at journal 22 May, 2024 First submitted to journal 21 May, 2024 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4453146","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":309562977,"identity":"13ddf801-d4af-48f1-ac73-1047507f0bff","order_by":0,"name":"Krzysztof Bartkowiak","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Medical University of Warsaw","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Krzysztof","middleName":"","lastName":"Bartkowiak","suffix":""},{"id":309562978,"identity":"6fadf834-9ce1-4250-b218-3c182699c311","order_by":1,"name":"Mateusz Bartkowiak","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Medical University of 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