Endothelial cells of hematopoietic origin make a significant contribution to adult blood vessel formation

JR Crosby, WE Kaminski, G Schatteman… - Circulation …, 2000 - Am Heart Assoc
JR Crosby, WE Kaminski, G Schatteman, PJ Martin, EW Raines, RA Seifert, DF Bowen-Pope
Circulation research, 2000Am Heart Assoc
Granulation tissue formation is an example of new tissue development in an adult. Its rich
vascular network has been thought to derive via angiogenic sprouting and extension of
preexisting vessels from the surrounding tissue. The possibility that circulating cells of
hematopoietic origin can differentiate into vascular endothelial cells (ECs) in areas of
vascular remodeling has recently gained credibility. However, no quantitative data have
placed the magnitude of this contribution into a physiological perspective. We have used …
Granulation tissue formation is an example of new tissue development in an adult. Its rich vascular network has been thought to derive via angiogenic sprouting and extension of preexisting vessels from the surrounding tissue. The possibility that circulating cells of hematopoietic origin can differentiate into vascular endothelial cells (ECs) in areas of vascular remodeling has recently gained credibility. However, no quantitative data have placed the magnitude of this contribution into a physiological perspective. We have used hematopoietic chimeras to determine that 0.2% to 1.4% of ECs in vessels in control tissues derived from hematopoietic progenitors during the 4 months after irradiation and hematopoietic recovery. By contrast, 8.3% to 11.2% of ECs in vessels that developed in sponge-induced granulation tissue during 1 month derived from circulating hematopoietic progenitors. This recruitment of circulating progenitors to newly forming vessels would be difficult to observe in standard histological studies, but it is large enough to be encouraging for attempts to manipulate this contribution for therapeutic gain.
Am Heart Assoc