Endothelial nitric oxide synthase mediates lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis.

ABSTRACT: Lymphatic metastasis is a critical determinant of cancer prognosis. Recently, several lymphangiogenic molecules such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C and VEGF-D were identified. However, the mechanistic understanding of lymphatic metastasis is still in infancy. Nitric oxide (NO) plays a crucial role in regulating blood vessel growth and function as well as lymphatic vessel function. NO synthase (NOS) expression correlates with lymphatic metastasis. However, causal relationship between NOS and lymphatic metastasis has not been documented. To this end, we first show that both VEGF receptor-2 and VEGF receptor-3 stimulation activate eNOS in lymphatic endothelial cells and that NO donors induce proliferation and/or survival of cultured lymphatic endothelial cells in a dose-depend

SUBMITTER: Lahdenranta J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2670480 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature