Differential expression of pro- and antiangiogenic factors in mouse strain-dependent hypoxia-induced retinal neovascularization

Clinical observations suggest that genetic factors may influence heterogeneity of angiogenic responses in cardiovascular disease, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and neoplasia. Experiments among mouse strains using a corneal micropocket assay indicate that extent of angiogenesis may be genetically determined. Here, we established the strain-dependence of hypoxia-induced retinal angiogenesis in multiple mouse strains which paralleled the rank order found for bFGF-induced corneal angiogenesis. Using quantitative real-time RT-PCR, strain-related gene expression differences in retina/choroid between C57BL/6J and 129S3/SvIM, inbred strains with relatively low and high levels of angiogenesis, respectively, after 0, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 96 h hypoxia were determined for vascular endothelial growth factor ( VEGF) and angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), angiogenic ligands potently induced by hypoxia, and for pigment epithelium-derived factor ( PEDF) and thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), endogenous broad-spectrum antiangiogenic factors. Indirect ELISA was used to correlate VEGF and PEDF protein levels with mRNA expression. At the onset of hypoxia, both PEDF and TSP-1 levels were increased over 15-fold and VEGF was increased over 10-fold compared to Ang-2 in both strains. At the onset of neovascularization ( 48 h), both VEGF and Ang-2 mRNA levels were increased in the more angiogenic 129S3/SvIM strain (P<0.02), which was not observed among developmental control animals. PEDF expression was higher in the less angiogenic C57BL/6J strain at 6, 12, 24, and 96 h hypoxia (P<0.03), while TSP-1 expression was higher in C57BL/6J throughout the entire time course of hypoxia (4 days) compared to 129S3/SvIM (P<0.02). Among developmental control animals, PEDF and TSP-1 expression was also increased at P14 and P16 in C57BL/6J strain compared to 129S3/SvIM (P<0.02). Strain-dependent expression of both pro- and antiangiogenic growth factors may determine heterogeneity in the angiogenic response and potentially, susceptibility to angiogenesis-dependent diseases.