Chordin-like 1, a bone morphogenetic protein-4 antagonist, is upregulated by hypoxia in human retinal pericytes and plays a role in regulating angiogenesis.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Pericytes play a specialized role in regulating angiogenesis and vascular function by providing vascular stability and controlling endothelial cell proliferation. Disorders in pericyte function and pericyte-endothelial interaction have been observed in several disease states including tumor angiogenesis and diabetic microangiopathy. In ischemic retinal disease, hypoxia is a potent driver of retinal angiogenesis. This study investigated the effects of hypoxia on retinal pericyte gene expression, and demonstrates a role in angiogenesis regulation for the hypoxia driven gene, chordin-like 1 (CHL-1).

Methods

In the current studies, we investigated hypoxia-induced gene expression in human retinal pericytes and found that expression of CHL-1, a member of the bone morphogen

SUBMITTER: Kane R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2435163 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature