The role of autophagy in chemerin-induced angiogenesis of RF/6A cells

Chemerin is a novel adipokine associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome and previous studies indicate that chemerin may also function as a stimulator of angiogenesis. However, the underlying mechanism of its regulatory role in angiogenesis remains unclear. In this study, we determined the role of autophagy in chemerininduced angiogenesis of RF/6A cells. Proliferation, migration and angiogenesis of RF/6A cells can be promoted by treating with different concentrations of chemerin. The expression of LC3II was increased and the autophagyrelated gene beclin-1 was upregulated by chemerin. Treatment with 3-MA, a common autophagy inhibitor, can significantly inhibit chemerin-induced proliferation, migration and tube formation by inhibiting the autophagy level of RF/6A cells. These studies show that autophagy play an important role in chemerin-induced angiogenesis and that targeting at autophagy may provide a new tool for treating retinal neovascularization.