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臨時増刊1号東京女子医科大学医学部解剖学・発生生物学講座 講座主任 江﨑太一教授退任記念特別号

日本語訳あり 臨時増刊1号東京女子医科大学医学部解剖学・発生生物学講座 講座主任 江﨑太一教授退任記念特別号

日本語訳あり 臨時増刊1号東京女子医科大学医学部解剖学・発生生物学講座 講座主任 江﨑太一教授退任記念特別号

臨時増刊1号東京女子医科大学医学部解剖学・発生生物学講座 講座主任 江﨑太一教授退任記念特別号

Pericytes (PCs) are attracting increasing attention as a crucial target for anti-angiogenic therapy. In this study, we sought to determine the functional significance of PCs during angiogenesis by using a skin wound healing model in which different angiogenic stages are identifiable. Angiogenesis was first observed on Day 3 after wounding and increased greatly on Day 5. On Day 5, the leading edge of the regenerating vessels (vascular advancing front; VAF) appeared to be composed of immature vessels, and was further divided into “tip” and “following” regions according to maturational differences. PCs distributed in regenerating vessels showed phenotypic differences according to different regions. PCs that expressed PDGFR-ß alone and lacked vascular basement membrane (BM) were predominant in the tip region of the VAF, while PCs that expressed both PDGFR-ß and NG2 with their BM coating were numerous in the following regions toward the rear of the VAF. Moreover, PCs in the VAF expressed VEGF-A and associated with most proliferating endothelial cells (ECs). VEGF-A expression of PCs and the proliferating ECs totally disappeared in the region toward the rear of the VAF. We conclude that PCs can differ in their phenotype according to the stage of angiogenesis during wound healing. They may promote angiogenesis at the initial stage but might in turn stabilize the newly formed vessels at the later stage.