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© 2018, The Author(s). The formation of new blood vessels, or angiogenesis, is a complex process that plays important roles in growth and development, tissue and organ regeneration, as well as numerous pathological conditions. Angiogenesis undergoes multiple discrete steps that can be individually evaluated and quantified by a large number of bioassays. These independent assessments hold advantages but also have limitations. This article describes in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro bioassays that are available for the evaluation of angiogenesis and highlights critical aspects that are relevant for their execution and proper interpretation. As such, this collaborative work is the first edition of consensus guidelines on angiogenesis bioassays to serve for current and future reference.

OBJECTIVE - Besides having a key role in fibrinolysis, the plasminogen system has been implicated in cell migration and angiogenesis. A common mechanism is the binding of plasminogen to carboxy-terminal lysine residues in partially degraded fibrin or on cellular surfaces. Here we examined the involvement of thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) and pancreatic carboxypeptidase B (CPB) in an in vitro capillary tube formation system, which is largely plasminogen-dependent. METHODS AND RESULTS - Human microvascular endothelial cells (hMVECs) were seeded on a 3D plasma clot matrix and subsequently stimulated with bFGF/tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Tube formation was analyzed and fibrin degradation products (FbDP) were determined in the medium. Supplementation of the matrix with additional TAFI or CPB produced a reduction in tube formation. Pretreatment of hMVECs with CPB before seeding resulted in a similar effect. FbDP-levels indicated a concomitant reduction in matrix proteolysis. A TAFIa inhibitor increased tube formation and FbDP release into the medium. In separate assays, CPB impaired the migration of hMVECs in a dose-dependent manner, whereas proliferation and adhesion remained unaffected. CONCLUSIONS - Overall, these results demonstrate that TAFI and CPB in these systems modulate the plasminogen system both in the matrix and on the cell surface, thus leading to the inhibition of endothelial cell movement and tube formation. © 2007 American Heart Association, Inc.

Objective: Successful implantation and placentation depend on the interaction between the endometrium and the embryo. Angiogenesis is crucial at this time. In this article we investigate the direct influence of the human embryo on in vitro endometrial angiogenesis. Design: In vitro study. Setting: Human endometrial microvascular endothelial cells (hEMVEC) grown on an in vitro angiogenesis model. Intervention(s): Conditioned media (CM) of human embryos were used to stimulate in vitro angiogenesis. Main Outcome Measure(s): In vitro angiogenesis of hEMVEC. Result(s): Conditioned media of human embryos, containing significant amounts of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, as determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), caused an increase in hEMVEC tube formation. This effect was prevented by soluble VEGF receptor 1, which quenches VEGF-A activity. Recombinant EGF alone and leukemia inhibitory factor in combination with VEGF-A stimulated hEMVEC tube formation. None of the other tested recombinant mediators, which have been described as produced by the early embryo/trophoblast (interleukin (IL) 10, transforming growth factor (TGF) β, placental growth factor, hCG, colony-stimulating factor 1, interferon-γ, insulin-like growth factor I and II, IL-6, platelet-derived growth factor, and TGFα), had an effect on tube formation by hEMVEC. Conclusion(s): For the first time, it is shown that the human embryo is able to stimulate in vitro endometrial angiogenesis at the time of implantation, a process that is mediated by VEGF-A. © 2006 American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

Background-Ginseng is a commonly used nutraceutical. Intriguingly, existing literature reports both wound-healing and antitumor effects of ginseng extract through opposing activities on the vascular system. To elucidate this perplexity, we merged a chemical fingerprinting approach with a deconstructional study of the effects of pure molecules from ginseng extract on angiogenesis. Methods and Results-A mass spectrometric compositional analysis of American, Chinese and Korean, and Sanqi ginseng revealed distinct "sterol ginsenoside" fingerprints, especially in the ratio between a triol, Rg1, and a diol, Rb1, the 2 most prevalent constituents. Using a Matrigel implant model and reconstituting the extracts using distinct ratios of the 2 ginsenosides, we demonstrate that the dominance of Rg1 leads to angiogenesis, whereas Rb1 exerts an opposing effect. Rg1 also promoted functional neovascularization into a polymer scaffold in vivo and the proliferation of, chemoinvasion of, and tubulogenesis by endothelial cells in vitro, an effect mediated through the expression of nitric oxide synthase and the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase→Akt pathway. In contrast, Rb1 inhibited the earliest step in angiogenesis, the chemoinvasion of endothelial cells. Conclusions-The present study explains, for the first time, the ambiguity about the effects of ginseng in vascular pathophysiology based on the existence of opposing active principles in the extract. We also unraveled a speciogeographic variation impinging on the compositional fingerprint that may modulate the final phenotype. This emphasizes the need for regulations standardizing herbal therapy, currently under the Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act. Furthermore, we propose that Rg1 could be a prototype for a novel group of nonpeptide molecules that can induce therapeutic angiogenesis, such as in wound healing. Chemicals / CAS: nitric oxide synthase, 125978-95-2; phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase, 115926-52-8; protein kinase B, 148640-14-6; 1-Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase, EC 2.7.1.137; Angiogenesis Inducing Agents; Angiogenesis Inhibitors; Drug Implants; Enzyme Inhibitors; ginsenoside Rb1; ginsenoside Rg1, 22427-39-0; Ginsenosides; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester, 50903-99-6

Objective - Growth factor-induced angiogenesis involves migration of endothelial cells (ECs) into perivascular areas and requires active remodeling of the endothelial F-actin cytoskeleton. The small GTPase RhoA previously has been implicated in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced signaling pathways, but its role has not been clarified. Methods and Results - VEGF induced the activation of RhoA and recruited RhoA to the cell membrane of human ECs. This increase in RhoA activity is necessary for the VEGF-induced reorganization of the F-actin cytoskeleton, as demonstrated by adenoviral transfection of dominant-negative RhoA. Rho kinase mediated this effect of RhoA, as was demonstrated by the use of Y-27632, a specific inhibitor of Rho kinase. Inhibition of Rho kinase prevented the VEGF-enhanced EC migration in response to mechanical wounding but had no effect on basal EC migration. Furthermore, in an in vitro model for angiogenesis, inhibition of either RhoA or Rho kinase attenuated the VEGF-mediated ingrowth of ECs in a 3-dimensional fibrin matrix. Conclusions - VEGF-induced cytoskeletal changes in ECs require RhoA and Rho kinase, and activation of RhoA/Rho kinase signaling is involved in the VEGF-induced in vitro EC migration and angiogenesis. Chemicals/CAS: 4 (1 aminoethyl) n (4 pyridyl)cyclohexanecarboxamide, 146986-50-7; F actin, 39409-31-9; fibrin, 9001-31-4; guanosine triphosphatase, 9059-32-9; vasculotropin, 127464-60-2; Amides; Endothelial Growth Factors; Enzyme Inhibitors; Fibrin, 9001-31-4; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Lymphokines; Pyridines; rho GTP-Binding Proteins, EC 3.6.5.2; rhoA GTP-Binding Protein, EC 3.6.5.2; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; Y 27632, 138381-45-0

Among other proteolytic enzymes, the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA)/plasmin cascade contributes to cell migration and the formation of capillary-like structures in a fibrinous exudate. The u-PA receptor (u-PAR) focuses proteolytical activity on the cell surface of the endothelial cell and hereby accelerates the pericellular matrix degradation. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 enhance u-PA receptor expression in human endothelial cells. In this paper we show that the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors Ro31-8220 and GF109203X inhibit VEGF165-induced u-PAR antigen expression in human endothelial cells, whereas PKC inhibition had no effect on FGF-2-induced u-PAR antigen enhancement. In addition, inhibition of PKC activity had no effect on VEGF165- or FGF-2-induced proliferation in human endothelial cells. We conclude that VEGF165 induces u-PAR via a PKC-dependent pathway, whereas proliferation is induced via a different pathway probably involving tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins downstream of the VEGF receptors.

Hypoxia stimulates angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels. This study evaluates the direct effect of hypoxia (1% oxygen) on the angiogenic response of human microvascular endothelial cells (hMVECs) seeded on top of a 3-dimensional fibrin matrix, hMVECs stimulated with fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) or vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) together with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) formed 2- to 3-fold more tubular structures under hypoxic conditions than in normoxic (20% oxygen) conditions. In both conditions the in-growth of capillary-like tubular structures into fibrin required cell-bound urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and plasmin activities. The hypoxia-induced increase in tube formation was accompanied by a decrease in uPA accumulation in the conditioned medium. This decrease in uPA level was completely abolished by uPA receptor-blocking antibodies. During hypoxic culturing uPA receptor activity and messenger RNA (mRNA) were indeed increased. This increase and, as a consequence, an increase in plasmin formation contribute to the hypoxia-induced stimulation of tube formation. A possible contribution of VEGF-A to the increased formation under hypoxic conditions is unlikely because there was no increased VEGF-A expression detected under hypoxic conditions, and the hypoxia-induced tube formation by FGF-2 and TNF-α was not inhibited by soluble VEGFR-1 (sVEGFR-1), or by antibodies blocking VEGFR-2. Furthermore, although the α(v)-integrin subunit was enhanced by hypoxia, blocking antibodies against α(v)β3 and α(v)β5-integrins had no effect on hypoxia-induced tube formation. Hypoxia increases uPA association and the angiogenic response of human endothelial cells in a fibrin matrix; the increase in the uPA receptor is an important determinant in this process. (C) 2000 by The American Society of Hematology. Chemicals/CAS: fibrin, 9001-31-4; phorbol 13 acetate 12 myristate, 16561-29-8; plasmin, 9001-90-5, 9004-09-5; plasminogen activator, 9039-53-6; tissue plasminogen activator, 105913-11-9; urokinase, 139639-24-0; vasculotropin, 127464-60-2; Antigens, CD; Culture Media; Culture Media, Conditioned; DNA, Complementary; Endothelial Growth Factors; Fibrin, 9001-31-4; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2, 103107-01-3; Integrin alphaV; integrin alphaVbeta5; Integrins; Lymphokines; Oxygen, 7782-44-7; Plasmin, EC 3.4.21.7; plasminogen activator, urokinase receptors; Proto-Oncogene Proteins; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases, EC 2.7.1.112; Receptors, Cell Surface; Receptors, Growth Factor; Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, EC 2.7.1.112; Receptors, Vitronectin; RNA, Messenger; Tumor Necrosis Factor; Urinary Plasminogen Activator, EC 3.4.21.73; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1, EC 2.7.1.112; vascular endothelial growth factor

Cancer patients treated for venous thromboembolism with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) have a better survival rate than patients treated with unfractionated heparin (UFH). Because fibrin-associated angiogenesis is an important determinant in the progression and metastasis of many solid tumors, the effects of heparins on in vitro angiogenesis were investigated. Both UFH and LMWH inhibited bFGF-induced proliferation of human microvascular endothelial cells (hMVECs) to the same the extent (36-60%). VEGF(165)-induced proliferation was inhibited to a to a lesser extent (19-33%). Turbidity measurements and electron microscopy showed that the presence of LMWH during polymerization of the fibrin matrix led to a more transparent rigid network with thin fibrin bundles, whereas the presence of UFA resulted in a more opaque more porous network with thick fibrin fibers, We used a human in vitro angiogenesis model, which consisted of hMVECs seeded on top of a fibrin matrix, and stimulated the cells with basic fibroblast growth factor plus tumor necrosis factor Lu to induce capillary-like tubular structures, The formation of capillary-like tubular structures was retarded with matrices polymerized in the presence of LMWH (46% inhibition compared with a control matrix for both 1.5 and 10 units/ml LMWH), whereas matrices polymerized in the presence of UFH facilitated tubular structure formation (72 and 36% stimulation compared with a control matrix for 1.5 and 10 units/ml UFH, respectively). Similar results were obtained for cells stimulated with vascular endothelial growth factor plus tumor necrosis factor alpha. These data demonstrate the inhibitory effect of heparins on proliferation of hMTECs and provide a novel mechanism by which LMWH may affect tumor progression, namely reduced ingrowth of microvascular structures in a fibrinous stroma matrix by rendering it less permissive for invasion

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) maintains the choriocapillaris (CC) in the normal eye and is involved in the pathogenesis of choroidal neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration. Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF) is produced by differentiated human RPE cells in vitro and in vivo and may be involved in paracrine signaling between the RPE and the CC. We investigated whether there is a polarized secretion of VEGF by RPE cells in vitro. Also, the localization of VEGF receptors in the human retina was investigated. We observed that highly differentiated human RPE cells, cultured on transwell filters in normoxic conditions, produced two- to sevenfold more VEGF toward their basolateral side as compared to the apical side. In hypoxic conditions, VEGF-A secretion increased to the basal side only, resulting in a three- to 10-fold higher basolateral secretion. By immunohistochemistry in 30 human eyes and in two cynomolgus monkey eyes, KDR (VEGFR-2) and flt-4 (VEGFR-3) were preferentially localized at the side of the CC endothelium facing the RPE cell layer, whereas flt-1 (VEGFR-1) was found on the inner CC and on other choroidal vessels. Our results indicate that RPE secretes VEGF toward its basal side where its receptor KDR is located on the adjacent CC endothelium, suggesting a role of VEGF in a paracrine relation, possibly in cooperation with flt-4 and its ligand. This can explain the known trophic function of the RPE in the maintenance of the CC and its fenestrated permeable phenotype and points to a role for VEGF in normal eye functioning. Up-regulated basolateral VEGF secretion by RPE in hypoxia or loss of polarity of VEGF production may play a role in the pathogenesis of choroidal neovascularization