2. Academic Validation
  3. Human lactoferrin upregulates expression of KDR/Flk-1 and stimulates VEGF-A-mediated endothelial cell proliferation and migration

Human lactoferrin upregulates expression of KDR/Flk-1 and stimulates VEGF-A-mediated endothelial cell proliferation and migration

  • FEBS Lett. 2006 Aug 7;580(18):4332-6. doi: 10.1016/j.febslet.2006.06.091.
Chan Woo Kim 1,  Kyung-No Son,  Sang-Yun Choi,  Jiyoung Kim
Affiliations

Affiliation

  • 1 Graduate School of Biotechnology and Institute of Life Sciences and Resources, Kyung Hee University, Yongin 446-701, Republic of Korea.
PMID: 16842782 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2006.06.091
Abstract

Lactoferrin (LF) is a multifunctional iron-binding glycoprotein, which plays a variety of biological processes including immunity. In this study, we demonstrate that human LF upregulates VEGFR2/KDR/Flk-1/VEGFR2/KDR/Flk-1 mRNA and protein levels in HUVECs at an optimal concentration of 5 microg/ml, which subsequently promotes the VEGF-induced proliferation and migration of the endothelial cells. Exposure of HUVECs to LF significantly increased VEGF-induced ERK MAP kinase phosphorylation. The maximal stimulation of VEGFR2/KDR/Flk-1/VEGFR2/KDR/Flk-1 expression by LF was correlated with LF-induced increase in cell proliferation and migration. These findings suggest that LF may stimulate in vivo angiogenesis via upregulation of VEGFR2/KDR/Flk-1/VEGFR2/KDR/Flk-1 expression in endothelial cells.

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