Vascular endothelial growth factor activates neural stem cells through epidermal growth factor receptor signal after spinal cord injury.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

Neural stem cells (NSCs) in the adult mammalian spinal cord are activated in response to spinal cord injury (SCI); however, mechanisms modulating this process are not clear. Here, we noticed SCI elevated expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and we aimed to validate the roles of VEGF in NSCs activation after SCI and investigated the related signals during the process.

Methods

In vitro we detected whether VEGF promoted spinal cord NSCs proliferation and investigated the involved signals; In vivo, we injected VEGF into rat spinal cord to check the NSCs activation.

Results

In vitro, VEGF triggered spinal cord NSCs proliferation and maintained self-renewal. Further investigations demonstrated VEGF transactivated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF

SUBMITTER: Liu SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6488895 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature