VEGF is an essential molecule for maintenance of the renal glomerulus

肾小球是有传入和传出小动脉的开孔和卷曲的毛细血管结构，其内皮细胞比任何其他毛细血管暴露在更高的压力和剪切应力下。血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）在响应发育、肿瘤、炎症或内分泌信号时介导血管形成，但在维持正常血管发育中的作用尚未得到证实。本研究表明，通过抗体抑制内源性VEGF活性可引起小鼠肾小球内皮细胞变性和毛细血管阻塞。在肾小球肾炎患者肾小球不可逆损失的情况下，人肾脏中VEGF的产生可能代偿性升高。在实验性肾小球肾炎中，外源性VEGF可防止肾小球毛细血管破裂。这些结果表明VEGF支持内皮细胞在生理和病理应激下维持肾小球结构。

The glomerulus in the kidney is fenestrated and coiled capillary structure with afferent and efferent arterioles and its endothelial cells are exposed to much higher pressure and shear stress than in any other capillaries. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mediates blood vessel formation in response to developmental, tumor, inflammatory or endocrine signals, but a role in the maintenance of normal developed vessels has not been demonstrated. Here we show that suppression of endogenous VEGF activity by antibody caused the degeneration of endothelial cells and the obstruction of capillaries in the renal glomeruli in mice. VEGF production in the human kidney may be compensatively elevated as a response to the irreversible loss of glomeruli in glomerulonephritis. In experimental glomerulonephritis, exogenous VEGF prevented the rupture of glomerular capillaries. These results indicate that VEGF supports endothelial cells to maintain the glomerular architecture under physiological and pathological stresses.