Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays an essential role in promoting angiogenesis during tumor development. In addition, VEGF can mediate the inflammatory response in tumors. VEGF increases the level of neutrophil migration by upregulating interleukin-8 (IL-8) in endothelial cells in vitro. However, it is unclear if VEGF can mediate IL-8 production in vivo.
Methods: To address this issue, this study examined the effect of VEGF on IL-8 production in vivo using an adenovirus transduction and mouse ear assay.
Results: Adenovirus-encoded VEGF (VEGF-Ad) increased the level of IL-8 production in endothelial cells in vitro compared to the control-adenovirus (CTL-Ad). The mouse ear assay showed that VEGF-Ad increased the level of IL-8 production in the endothelium. Immunohistochemistry showed that the IL-8 proteins were expressed in the vasculature within a human glioblastoma, which is known to strongly express VEGF.
Conclusion: These results suggest that VEGF can mediate the inflammatory response in endothelial cells in vivo via the up-regulation of IL-8. (Korean J Hematol 2009;44:199-204.)

Keywords: Vascular endothelial growth factor, Interleukin-8, Endothelial cells, Chemokine, Inflammation