Indirect angiogenic cytokines upregulate VEGF and bFGF gene expression in vascular smooth muscle cells, whereas hypoxia upregulates VEGF expression only.

Abstract

These results indicate that certain indirect angiogenic cytokines, such as PDGF-BB or TGF-beta 1, may act via induction of bFGF and VEGF gene expression in cells resident near endothelial cells in vivo. Hypoxia constitutes a potent stimulus for VEGF gene expresion but does not regulate bFGF under the same experimental conditions.