EXOGENOUS HEPARIN INDUCES FIBRONECTIN OVEREXPRESSION PARALLEL TO ANGIOGENESIS IN THE EXTRACELLULAR-MATRIX OF THE CHICK-EMBRYO CHORIOALLANTOIC MEMBRANE

Heparin (HE) was injected into the allantoic sac of chick embryo eggs on the 5th day of incubation, After 48 h, a morphometric analysis of a ngiogenic response and an immunohistochemical investigation of fibrone ctin (FN) and type IV collagen immunoreactivity in developing vasculat ure were performed in order to verify whether HE-related choriollantoi c membrane (CAM) angiogenic activity was associated with overexpressio n of FN and/or type IV collagen changes in CAM extracellular matrix, D ata to be presented show a close relationship between HE treatment, an giogenic processes, and overexpression of FN, but not of type IV colla gen in CAM extracellular matrix. They agree with other studies proving a facilitating role of FN in angiogenic processes.