Dumortier J, Ratineau C, Roche C, Lombard-Bohas C, Chayvialle J A, Scoazec J Y
Fédération des spécialités digestives, Unité Inserm 45, Hôpital Edouard-Herriot, 5, place d'Arsonval, 69437 Lyon Cedex 03, France.
Bull Cancer. 1999 Feb;86(2):148-53.
Endocrine tumors are characteristically hypervascularized. This property recalls that of normal endocrine tissues, which possess a dense and specialized capillary network. The cellular and molecular mechanisms of the angiogenesis process associated with endocrine tumorigenesis are poorly known. Most normal endocrine cells constituvely express high levels of angiogenic factors, such as VEGF, which likely play an important role in the development of the characteristic vascular architecture of normal endocrine tissues. Clinical and experimental data suggest that a surexpression of such angiogenic factors is unlikely to be involved in the induction of the angiogenic process associated with endocrine tumorigenesis. In contrast, according to some experimental observations, the loss of endocrine-specific anti-angiogenic factors may be required for the initiation of the angiogenic process and the transition from endocrine hyperplasia to endocrine neoplasia. Such inhibitory factors remain to be identified and characterized. A better understanding of the mechanisms of angiogenesis in endocrine tumors is important for the delineation of novel therapeutic strategies.
内分泌肿瘤的特征是血管高度增生。这一特性与正常内分泌组织相似，正常内分泌组织拥有密集且特殊的毛细血管网络。与内分泌肿瘤发生相关的血管生成过程的细胞和分子机制尚不清楚。大多数正常内分泌细胞组成性地高表达血管生成因子，如血管内皮生长因子（VEGF），这可能在正常内分泌组织特征性血管结构的发育中起重要作用。临床和实验数据表明，此类血管生成因子的过表达不太可能参与与内分泌肿瘤发生相关的血管生成过程的诱导。相反，根据一些实验观察结果，内分泌特异性抗血管生成因子的缺失可能是血管生成过程启动以及从内分泌增生向内分泌肿瘤转变所必需的。此类抑制因子仍有待鉴定和表征。更好地理解内分泌肿瘤中的血管生成机制对于制定新的治疗策略至关重要。
