Endogenous LXA4 circuits are determinants of pathological angiogenesis in response to chronic injury

Am J Pathol. 2010 Jan;176(1):74-84. doi: 10.2353/ajpath.2010.090678. Epub 2009 Dec 11.

Abstract

Inflammation and angiogenesis are intimately linked, and their dysregulation leads to pathological angiogenesis in human diseases. 15-lipoxygenase (15-LOX) and lipoxin A(4) receptors (ALX) constitute a LXA(4) circuit that is a key feature of inflammatory resolution. LXA(4) analogs have been shown to regulate vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A-induced angiogenic response in vitro. 15-LOX and ALX are highly expressed in the avascular and immune-privileged cornea. However, the role of this endogenous LXA(4) circuit in pathological neovascularization has not been determined. We report that suture-induced chronic injury in the cornea triggered polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) infiltration, pathological neovascularization, and up-regulation of mediators of inflammatory angiogenesis, namely VEGF-A and the VEGF-3 receptor (FLT4). Up-regulation of the VEGF circuit and neovascularization correlated with selective changes in both 15-LOX (Alox15) and ALX (Fpr-rs2) expression and a temporally defined increase in basal 15-LOX activity. More importantly, genetic deletion of 15-LOX or 5-LOX, key and obligatory enzymes in the formation of LXA(4), respectively, led to exacerbated inflammatory neovascularization coincident with increased VEGF-A and FLT4 expression. Direct topical treatment with LXA(4), but not its metabolic precursor 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, reduced expression of VEGF-A and FLT4 and inflammatory angiogenesis and rescued 15-LOX knockout mice from exacerbated angiogenesis. In summary, our findings and the prominent expression of 15-LOX and ALX in epithelial cells and macrophages place the LXA(4) circuit as an endogenous regulator of pathological angiogenesis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Topical
  • Animals
  • Arachidonate 15-Lipoxygenase / metabolism
  • Arachidonate 5-Lipoxygenase / metabolism
  • Autacoids / metabolism
  • Cornea / blood supply
  • Cornea / drug effects
  • Cornea / pathology
  • Corneal Diseases / complications
  • Corneal Diseases / enzymology
  • Corneal Diseases / metabolism*
  • Down-Regulation / drug effects
  • Gene Deletion
  • Inflammation / complications
  • Inflammation / enzymology
  • Lipoxins / administration & dosage
  • Lipoxins / metabolism*
  • Lipoxins / pharmacology
  • Metabolic Networks and Pathways / drug effects
  • Mice
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / complications
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / enzymology
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / metabolism*
  • Phenotype

Substances

  • Autacoids
  • Lipoxins
  • lipoxin A4
  • Arachidonate 15-Lipoxygenase
  • Arachidonate 5-Lipoxygenase