The role of VEGF in nephrons of progressive renal diseases

血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）介导肾小球发育，维持肾小球内皮细胞，加速损伤肾血管的修复。近年来，VEGF对包括神经元和肝细胞在内的多种细胞类型均有保护作用。这种作用可能与VEGF的血管生成活性无关。我们假设VEGF可以保护肾小球内皮细胞免受损伤，并通过评估预给药VEGF对损伤的影响来验证这一假设。在第0天注射有限剂量的Thy-1.1抗体诱导大鼠肾小球系膜增生性肾炎。第1天，系膜溶解，内皮细胞破裂。毛细血管融合扩张，未见内皮细胞凋亡。重组VEGF_<165>于抗体注射前4 h给予大鼠。通过这种治疗，内皮损伤在第1天得到明显抑制。在第1天，VEGF_<121>也有保护作用。保护机制与细胞凋亡无关。这种保护可能对进行性肾脏疾病的肾小球损伤具有治疗潜力。

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mediates a glomerular development, maintains glomerular endothelial cells and accelerates a repair of injured renal vessels. Recently, protective effect of VEGF for various cell types, including neurons and hepatocytes, is reported. This effect may be independent on angiogenic activity of VEGF. We hypothesize that VEGF may protect glomerular endothelial cells against injuries and tested this hypothesis by evaluating the effect of pre-administered VEGF on the injuries. Mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis was induced in rats by injecting limited dose of antibody to Thy-1.1 at day 0. At day 1, lysis of mesangium was observed and endothelial cells were ruptured. Capillaries were fused and dilated but endothelial apoptosis was not observed. Recombinant VEGF_<165> was administered to rats at 4 h before injecting the antibody. By this treatment, the endothelial injury at day 1 was significantly suppressed. The protective effect at day 1 was also given by VEGF_<121>. Mechanism of protection was unrelated to apoptosis. This protection may have therapeutic potential against glomerular injuries in progressive renal disease.