| First Author | Yuen D | Year | 2014 |
| Journal | Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci | Volume | 55 |
| Issue | 5 | Pages | 3320-7 |
| PubMed ID | 24781940 | Mgi Jnum | J:229854 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5754685 | Doi | 10.1167/iovs.13-13779 |
| Citation | Yuen D, et al. (2014) Role of angiopoietin-2 in corneal lymphangiogenesis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 55(5):3320-7 |
| abstractText | PURPOSE: Lymphatic research has progressed rapidly in recent years. Lymphatic dysfunction has been found in myriad disorders from cancer metastasis to transplant rejection; however, effective treatment for lymphatic disorders is still limited. This study investigates the role of angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) in corneal inflammatory lymphangiogenesis (LG) in vivo and in lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) functions in vitro. METHODS: Standard suture placement model was used to study Ang-2 expression in inflamed cornea, and corneal LG and hemangiogenesis (HG) responses in Ang-2 knockout mice. Moreover, human LEC culture system was used to examine the effect of Ang-2 gene knockdown on LEC functions using small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). The effect of siRNA treatment on corneal LG was also assessed in vivo. RESULTS: Angiopoietin-2 was expressed on lymphatic vessels and macrophages in inflamed cornea. While corneal LG response was abolished in Ang-2 knockout mice, the HG response was also significantly suppressed with disorganized patterning. Moreover, anti-Ang-2 treatment inhibited LEC proliferation and capillary tube formation in vitro and corneal LG in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Angiopoietin-2 is critically involved in lymphatic processes in vivo and in vitro. Further investigation of the Ang-2 pathway may provide novel insights and therapeutic strategies for lymphatic-related disorders, which occur both inside and outside the eye. |
