VEGF and soluble VEGF receptor-1 (sFlt-1) distributions in peripheral arterial disease: an in silico model.

ABSTRACT: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a key regulator of angiogenesis, the growth of new capillaries from existing microvasculature. In peripheral arterial disease (PAD), lower extremity muscle ischemia develops downstream of atherosclerotic obstruction. A working hypothesis proposed that the maladaptive overexpression of soluble VEGF receptor 1 (sVEGFR1) in ischemic muscle tissues, and its subsequent antagonism of VEGF bioactivity, may contribute to the deficient angiogenic response in PAD, as well as the limited success of therapeutic angiogenesis strategies where exogenous VEGF genes/proteins are delivered. The objectives of this study were to develop a computational framework for simulating the systemic distributions of VEGF and sVEGFR1 (e.g., intramuscular vs. circulating, free

SUBMITTER: Wu FT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2886617 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature