Angiopoietin‐4 increases permeability of blood vessels and promotes lymphatic dilation

ABSTRACT The angiopoietin (Ang) ligands are potential therapeutic targets for lymphatic related diseases, which include lymphedema and cancer. Ang‐1 and Ang‐2 functions are established, but those of Ang‐4 are poorly understood. We used intravital fluorescence microscopy to characterize Ang‐4 actions on T241 murine fibrosarcomaassociated vessels in mice. The diameters of lymphatic vessels draining Ang‐4‐ or VEGF‐C (positive control)‐expressing tumors increased to 123 and 135 μm, respectively, and parental, mock‐transduced (negative controls) and tumors expressing Ang‐1 or Ang‐2 remained at baseline (~60 μm). Ang‐4 decreased human dermal lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) monolayer permeability by 27% while increasing human dermal blood endothelial cell (BEC) monolayer permeability by 200%. In vivo, Ang‐4 stimulated a 4.5‐fold increase in tumor‐associated blood vessel permeability compared with control when measured using intravital quantitative multiphoton microscopy. Ang‐4 activated receptor signaling in both LECs and BECs, evidenced by tyrosine kinase with Ig and endothelial growth factor homology domains‐2 (TIE2) receptor, protein kinase B, and Erk1,2 phosphorylation detectable by immunoblotting. These data suggest that Ang‐4 actions are mediated through cell‐type‐specific networks and that lymphatic vessel dilation occurs secondarily to increased vascular leakage. Ang‐4 also promoted survival of LECs. Thus, blocking Ang‐4 may prune the draining lymphatic vasculature and decrease interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) by reducing vascular permeability.—Kesler, C. T., Pereira, E. R., Cui, C. H., Nelson, G. M., Masuck, D. J., Baish, J. W., Padera, T. P. Angiopoietin‐4 increases permeability of blood vessels and promotes lymphatic dilation. FASEB J. 29, 3668‐3677 (2015). www.fasebj.org