OBJECTIVE: This study investigated associations between polymorphisms in the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene and susceptibility to acute mountain sickness. METHODS: Two hundred Han Chinese soldiers who developed acute mountain sickness after rapidly ascending to an altitude of < 3600 m and 200 control soldiers (who did not develop the condition) were enrolled in the study. Twelve single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the VEGF gene were genotyped in all the study participants. Plasma VEGF concentrations were measured by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay in 40 subjects with acute mountain sickness and 40 controls before and after exposure to high altitude. RESULTS: The frequencies of the rs3025039 genotype and allele were significantly different between the groups. Two SNPs, rs3025039 (which involves a C→T allele variation at position 936 in the 3′ untranslated region) and rs3025030 (which involves a G→C allele variation in the intronic sequence), were associated with a decreased risk of acute mountain sickness. CONCLUSION: The SNPs rs3025039 and rs3025030 of the VEGF gene may be associated with a decreased risk of acute mountain sickness development.
ABSTRACT. We investigated neovasculization effects of emboluscarried human vascular endothelial cell growth factor 165 (VEGF 165 )-encoded adenovirus (Ad) vector in the hindlimbs of rats with thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO). Rats were equally divided into blank control (I), TAO model (II), embolus (III), Ad-VEGF 165 intravascular treatment (IV), Ad-VEGF 165 intramuscular treatment (V), and emboluscarried Ad-VEGF 165 (VI) groups. After interventional treatment, the neovasculization effect of the test gene was observed using immunohistochemistry. At 1 week after administration, compared with group II, groups V and VI had significantly increased microvessel densities, but no significant difference was observed between groups V and VI. At 2 weeks, groups V and VI exhibited significantly increased microvessel densities. At 1 week after administration, compared with group II, both groups V and VI showed a significant difference in the ratio between the α-smooth muscle actin count and the muscle fiber count, whereas no significant difference was observed between them. At 2 weeks, groups V and VI also exhibited significant differences in these ratios compared with the other groups. We conclude that Ad-VEGF 165 promotes neovasculization in ischemic limbs. Embolus-carried Ad-VEGF 165 had the most pronounced effect.
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