Cao Renhai, Jensen Lasse Dahl Ejby, Söll Iris, Hauptmann Giselbert, Cao Yihai
Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, The Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
PLoS One. 2008 Jul 23;3(7):e2748. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0002748.
Mechanistic understanding and defining novel therapeutic targets of diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) have been hampered by a lack of appropriate adult animal models. Here we describe a simple and highly reproducible adult fli-EGFP transgenic zebrafish model to study retinal angiogenesis. The retinal vasculature in the adult zebrafish is highly organized and hypoxia-induced neovascularization occurs in a predictable area of capillary plexuses. New retinal vessels and vascular sprouts can be accurately measured and quantified. Orally active anti-VEGF agents including sunitinib and ZM323881 effectively block hypoxia-induced retinal neovascularization. Intriguingly, blockage of the Notch signaling pathway by the inhibitor DAPT under hypoxia, results in a high density of arterial sprouting in all optical arteries. The Notch suppression-induced arterial sprouting is dependent on tissue hypoxia. However, in the presence of DAPT substantial endothelial tip cell formation was detected only in optic capillary plexuses under normoxia. These findings suggest that hypoxia shifts the vascular targets of Notch inhibitors. Our findings for the first time show a clinically relevant retinal angiogenesis model in adult zebrafish, which might serve as a platform for studying mechanisms of retinal angiogenesis, for defining novel therapeutic targets, and for screening of novel antiangiogenic drugs.
由于缺乏合适的成年动物模型,糖尿病视网膜病变和年龄相关性黄斑变性(AMD)的机制理解及新型治疗靶点的定义受到了阻碍。在此,我们描述了一种简单且高度可重复的成年fli-EGFP转基因斑马鱼模型,用于研究视网膜血管生成。成年斑马鱼的视网膜血管系统高度有序,缺氧诱导的新生血管形成发生在毛细血管丛的可预测区域。新的视网膜血管和血管芽可以被准确测量和量化。包括舒尼替尼和ZM323881在内的口服活性抗VEGF药物可有效阻断缺氧诱导的视网膜新生血管形成。有趣的是,在缺氧条件下,抑制剂DAPT对Notch信号通路的阻断导致所有视动脉中动脉芽的高密度形成。Notch抑制诱导的动脉芽形成依赖于组织缺氧。然而,在存在DAPT的情况下,仅在常氧条件下的视毛细血管丛中检测到大量内皮尖端细胞形成。这些发现表明缺氧改变了Notch抑制剂的血管靶点。我们的研究首次在成年斑马鱼中展示了一个与临床相关的视网膜血管生成模型,该模型可作为研究视网膜血管生成机制、定义新型治疗靶点以及筛选新型抗血管生成药物的平台。