VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH-FACTOR IN NORMAL HUMAN SALIVARY-GLANDS AND SALIVA - A POSSIBLE ROLE IN THE MAINTENANCE OF MUCOSAL HOMEOSTASIS

Saliva is an enriched milieu containing biologically active proteins, including several different growth factors and cytokines. This study d ocuments that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a potent, mul tifunctional, angiogenic cytokine, is a component of normal human sali va. VEGF was measured by ELISA in whole saliva (median concentration, 460 pg/ml) and in ductal secretions obtained from the parotid (277 pg/ ml) and the submandibular-sublingual (80 pg/ml) salivary glands. VEGF seems to be synthesized endogenously by the salivary glands because bo th VEGF mRNA and protein las revealed by in situ reverse transcriptase -PCR and by immunohistochemistry, respectively) colocalized to serous acinar cells and ductal epithelial cells within the parotid, submandib ular, and minor salivary glands. These findings point: to the existenc e of a ''salivary VEGF system.'' It is possible that salivary VEGF pla ys a role in regulating physiologic and pathologic angiogenic and othe r vascular responses in salivary and mucosal tissues. And in particula r, the presence of VEGF in saliva may contribute to the remarkable hea ling capacity of the oral mucosa as well as other regions of the diges tive tract.