Angiopoietin-1 and -2 are endogenous ligands for the vascular endothelium-specific receptor tyrosine kinase Tie-2. The angiopoietin/Tie system plays a critical role in the regulation of endothelial cell survival and vascular maturation and stability. Apart from its well-established role in vascular morphogenesis, emerging data support the involvement of angiopoietins in inflammation and various...

The Tie receptors with their Angiopoietin ligands act as regulators of angiogenesis and vessel maturation. Tie2 exerts its functions through its supposed endothelial-specific expression. Yet, Tie2 is also expressed at lower levels by pericytes and it has not been unravelled through which mechanisms pericyte Angiopoietin/Tie signalling affects angiogenesis. Here we show that human and murine per...

BACKGROUND The phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE-5) inhibitor sildenafil has been reported to improve pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), but the mechanisms that account for this effect are incompletely understood. Severe pulmonary hypertension has been characterized by defects in a signaling pathway involving angiopoietin-1 and the bone morphogenetic receptor-2 (BMPR-2). We investigated the eff...

OBJECTIVES The goal of this research was to test the hypothesis that plasma angiopoietin (Ang-1), its soluble receptor tie-2, and Ang-2 levels would be abnormal in patients with acute and chronic congestive heart failure (CHF) when compared with healthy controls. BACKGROUND Increased plasma vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in CHF is suggestive of excess angiogenesis-possibly driven b...

OBJECTIVE In angiogenesis, circulating mononuclear cells are recruited to vascular lesions; however, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. APPROACH AND RESULTS Here, we characterize the functional role of protein tyrosine kinase 7 (PTK7)-expressing CD11b(+) mononuclear cells in vitro and in vivo using a mouse model of angiogenesis. Although the frequencies of PTK7(+)CD11b(+) cells ...

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a hypervascular malignancy and is the third leading cause of death worldwide. The disease has multiple predisposing risk factors and limited treatment options. Although the precise mechanism(s) underlying HCC is unknown, several pathways have been implicated in its development. HCC is a vascular tumor and angiogenesis is believed to play an important role in it...

83 Excessive accumulation of triacylglycerols in circulation (hypertriglyceridemia) and/or in adipose tissue (obesity) are major risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, two major morbidities worldwide. This thesis provides insights into the function of angiopoietin-like 3 and 4 in human triacylglycerol metabolism. Immunological assays have been developed and used to show t...

BackgroundCirculating angiogenic factors have been associated with clinical outcomes of papillary thyroid carcinoma, although they may also be released in the context benign multinodular goiter. We sought to investigate effect thyroidectomy on activity and importance multiple circulating carcinoma goiter.MethodsBetween May 2015 December 2016, patients scheduled for total or goiter were offered ...