Characterization of pro-angiogenic neutrophils

• The roles of neutrophils in immune defense have been investigated for decades. These cells are well equipped to protect the body in several ways against invaders such as microorganism. Recently it has been reported that neutrophils also contribute to angiogenesis; they are recruited to the site of hypoxia where they can promote blood vessel formation, as demonstrated both in vivo and in vitro. We found that these neutrophils with proangiogenic actions form a specific subset of the circulating neutrophils. The proangiogenic neutrophils (PANs) exclusively express the adhesion molecule CD49d and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR1), and contribute to angiogenesis by delivering MMP-9 (matrix metalloproteinase 9). In this study, PANs were compared to classic neutrophils in respect to physical features as well as functionality. We found that PANs in humans were smaller and in human and mice PANs had higher granularity compared to the classic neutrophils. Moreover, they were more efficient phagocytes than classic neutrophils. In the aortic ring model of angiogenesis, vessel neo-formation was increased by the presence of pro-angiogenic neutrophils. Finally, by using neutrophils from mice with impaired VEGFR1 receptor (Flt-1 tk-/- mice) we demonstrated the role of VEGFR1 in neutrophil recruitment towards angiogenic endothelium. Together these results show clear differences between the pro-angiogenic subpopulation and the classic neutrophils, which further solidify the conclusion of a specific neutrophil subpopulation.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Immunologi inom det medicinska området (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Immunology in the medical area (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Leukocytes

angiogenesis

phagocytosis

pro angiogenic neutrophils

ROS production

Immunologi

Immunology

Biology with specialization in Molecular Immunology

Biologi med inriktning mot molekylär immunologi

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

ovr (ämneskategori)