VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH-FACTOR IN ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE AND EXPERIMENTAL CEREBRAL-ISCHEMIA

Several growth factors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alz heimer's disease (AD). We considered whether the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is involved in the vascular pathology associated with most cases of AD. We observed enhanced VEGF immunoreactivity in c lusters of reactive astrocytes in the neocortex of subjects with AD co mpared to elderly controls. VEGF reactivity was also noted in walls of many large intraparenchymal vessels and diffuse perivascular deposits . In addition, we established that astrocytic and perivascular VEGF re activity was enhanced in cerebral cortex of rats subjected to cerebral ischemia and to chronic hypoxia; experimental conditions known to be associated with astrogliosis and angiogenesis. We suggest the increase d VEGF reactivity, also observed in infarcted human brain tissue, impl icates compensatory mechanisms to counter insufficient vascularity or reduced perfusion (oligemia) apparent in AD. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.