Expression of VEGF isoforms by epiphyseal chondrocytes during low-oxygen tension is HIF-1α dependent

Objective: To establish the role of hypoxia and HIF-1α for VEGF expression of murine epiphyseal chondrocytes. To analyze the effect of hypoxia on VEGF isoform expression. Materials and Methods: VEGF mRNA and VEGF isoform expression was investigated in epiphyses of murine newborns by in situ hybridization and real-time PCR. Further, epiphyseal chondrocytes were isolated from newborn mice with homozygous flanking of the HIF-1α gene with lox-P sites. HIF-1α was deleted by infection with adenovirus containing cre-recombinase. After chondrocytes reached confluency they were exposed to 0.5% or 20% oxygen, respectively. Total VEGF and VEGF isoform mRNA expression levels were measured by real-time PCR. Secreted VEGF protein was determined by ELISA. Results: VEGF mRNA signals were detected in the hypertophic zone and in the center of the proliferative zone of the murine epiphysis, which is considered to be hypoxic. Real-time PCR revealed that VEGF 120is the dominant isoform in vivo. In cultured epiphyseal chondrocytes strongly increased VEGF gene expression levels were detected after exposure to hypoxia. Furthermore, secretion of VEGF protein was significantly enhanced under 0.5% oxygen. Remarkably, functional inactivation of HIF-1α abolished the hypoxic increase of VEGF expression in chondrocytes completely. Furthermore, the soluble isoforms VEGF 120and VEGF 164are the most abundantly expressed splice variants in chondrocytes exposed to low oxygen levels. Conclusions: The data presented here clearly indicate that hypoxia is able to induce the synthesis of soluble VEGF isoforms by epiphyseal chondrocytes, most likely through stabilization of HIF-1α. Thus it can be speculated that HIF-1α is an essential prerequisite for hypoxic VEGF synthesis in the epiphysis, thereby contributing to the formation and invasion of blood vessels in long bone development.