Submitted on January 3, 2008
Accepted on July 31, 2008
Mast Cells can Mediate Vascular Permeability through Regulation of PI3K-HIF-1
-VEGF Axis
Kyung Sun Lee1, So Ri Kim1, Seoung Ju Park1, Kyung Hoon Min1, Ka Young Lee1, Yeong Hun Choe1, Seung Yong Park1, Ok Hee Chai2, Xin Zhang2, Chang Ho Song2, and Yong Chul Lee1*
1 Department of Internal Medicine and Airway Remodeling Laboratory, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea, Republic of,
2 Department of Anatomy, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea, Republic of
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: leeyc{at}chonbuk.ac.kr.
Rationale: Bronchial inflammation is usually accompanied by increased vascular permeability. Mast cells release a number of mediators that act directly on the vasculature, resulting in vasodilatation, increased permeability, and subsequent plasma protein extravasation. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been implicated to contribute to asthmatic tissue edema through its effect on vascular permeability. However, the effects of mast cells on VEGF-mediated signaling in allergic airway disease are not clearly understood.
Objectives: An aim of the present study was to investigate the role of mast cells on VEGF-mediated signal transduction in allergic airway disease.
Methods: We have used genetically mast cell-deficient WBB6F1-KitW/KitW-v (W/Wv) mice and the congenic normal WBB6F1-+/+ (+/+) mouse model for allergic airway disease to investigate the role of mast cells on VEGF-mediated signal transduction in allergic airway disease, more specifically in vascular permeability.
Measurements and Main Results: Our present study with ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized without adjuvant and -challenged mice revealed the following typical pathophysiological features of allergic airway diseases: increased inflammatory cells of the airways, airway hyperresponsiveness, increased vascular permeability, and increased levels of VEGF. However, levels of VEGF and plasma exudation in W/Wv mice after OVA inhalation were significantly lower than levels in +/+ mice. Moreover, mast cell-reconstituted W/Wv mice restored vascular permeability and VEGF levels similar to those of the +/+ mice. Our data also showed that VEGF expression was regulated by hypoxia-inducible factor-1
(HIF-1
) activation through PI3K pathway in allergic airway disease.
Conclusion: These results suggest that mast cells modulate vascular permeability by the regulation of PI3K-HIF-1
-VEGF axis.
Key words: mast cells, vascular permeability, VEGF, allergy, inflammation