Tissues and organs generate angiogenesis under the stimulation of angiogenic factors in physiological or pathological conditions.Multiple signal pathways including VEGF, Notch, Wnt/β-catenin, Ang1(2)/tie2 and PIK-Akt etc.have effects on various stages of angiogenesis.VEGF exerts irreplaceable effects on the whole process of angiogenesis through multiple signal pathways.Over the past few years, new progress has been made in the researches of mechanisms regulating angiogenesis through VEGF-related signal pathways both at home and abroad.These findings provide us new theoretical basis for clarification of the pathogenesis of many diseases and clinical drug development.In this article we will summarize the recent research progress in this field, hoping to provide new possibilities for the treatment of angiogenesis-related diseases.

Objective To explore the effects of morroniside on the expression of CD34 in ipsilateral cortex of rats after focal cerebral isch-emia-reperfusion. Methods 45 male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into sham group (n=9), ischemia group (n=9), and morroniside groups (low, medium and high dosage groups, n=9). The middle cerebral artery were occluded for 30 minutes, and reperfused. Morroniside was administered intragastrically once a day at dose of 30 mg/kg, 90 mg/kg, 270 mg/kg after operation. The expression of CD34 in the isch-emic ipsilateral cortex were detected with immunohistochemistry (n=6) and Western blotting (n=3) 7 days after operation. Results The ex-pression of CD34 increased in the ischemia group compared with the sham group, and further increased in the morroniside groups of high dos-age compared with the ischemia group (F>14.865, P<0.001). Conclusion Morroniside could increase the expression of CD34 in the ischemic ipsilateral cortex after ischemia-reperfusion in rats, which may promote the angiogenesis and neurogenesis after ischemia.

Human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein complex Ⅱ (gC Ⅱ ) consists of two glycoproteins, gM and gN. Although gC Ⅱ specific IgG purified from HCMV positive patient sera can neutralize HCMV, there has been no report on the generation of virus-neutralizing antibodies by immunizing with one epitope of gM. The epitope, termed MAD, was screened from random phage peptide library by subtractive strategy. The peptide sequence of MAD was highly homologous with 32~38 amino acids of HCMV gM. Mice immunized with MAD coupled with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) could produce specific antibodies against MAD, and the antibodies obtained could bind not only native HCMV particles, but also the recombinant gM30～78 peptide. ELISA analysis results showed that MAD could specifically bind HCMV-positive human serum samples. Virus-neutralizing assay results demonstrated that the antibodies against MAD could inhibit HCMV strain AD169 entering the human embryonic lung cells. The results suggested that MAD could be used as a new potential protective antigen in the development of HCMV vaccine.

We identified the critical amino-acid residues in antigen M derterminant (MAD) epitope of human cytomegalovirus protein M. On the basis of the peptide sequence of MAD, some conservative residues were mutated into the glycine residue. Then the gene fragment of mutants linked to amino terminal of Fc were cloned into the plasmid pET32-Fc and expressed by fusion with Fc. After purified by protein A affinity chromatography, the activity of mutants binding the goat polyclonal antibodies against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) were detected by ELISA and Western blotting. Our results showed that when glutamine residue was mutated into glycine residue, the activity of MAD(Q --> G) binding the goat polyclonal antibodies against HCMV was reduced apparently. Other mutants did not have the same characteristics. The activity of MAD was closely related to the conformation of glutamine residue.
Amino Acids ; genetics ; immunology ; Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; immunology ; Antibodies, Viral ; immunology ; Antigens, Viral ; genetics ; immunology ; Base Sequence ; Cytomegalovirus ; genetics ; immunology ; Epitopes ; genetics ; immunology ; Goats ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments ; genetics ; immunology ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutant Proteins ; genetics ; Mutation ; Viral Matrix Proteins ; genetics ; immunology