Abstract
The angiopoietin-Tie2 system is an important regulator of vasculogenesis and vascular integrity. Angiopoietin-2 (Ang2) disrupts blood vessel formation in the developing embryo by antagonizing the effects of angiopoietin-1 (Ang1) on the Tie2 receptor. In this study, we examined the effect of a well-known proinflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), on Ang2 expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Northern blot analyses indicated that TNF-α induced Ang2 mRNA expression in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Western blot analyses revealed that TNF-α treatment increased cellular Ang2 protein. TNF-α induced less Ang2 mRNA expression in the presence of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) inhibitor. These results suggest that TNF-α-induced inflammatory angiogenesis might be facilitated by the induction of Ang2.
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