Short hairpin RNA-mediated knockdown of VEGFA in Muller cells reduces intravitreal neovascularization in a rat model of retinopathy of prematurity.

ABSTRACT: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) A is implicated in aberrant angiogenesis and intravitreous neovascularization (IVNV) in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). However, VEGFA also regulates retinal vascular development and functions as a retinal neural survival factor. By using a relevant ROP model, the 50/10 oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) model, we previously found that broad inhibition of VEGFA bioactivity using a neutralizing antibody to rat VEGF significantly reduced IVNV area compared with control IgG but also significantly reduced body weight gain in the pups, suggesting an adverse effect. Therefore, we propose that knockdown of up-regulated VEGFA in cells that overexpress it under pathological conditions would reduce IVNV without affecting physiological retinal vascular develo

SUBMITTER: Wang H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3763762 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature