Summary
Using a quantitative assay the amount of a low Mr endothelial cell stimulating angiogenesis factor (ESAF) has been determined in human pineal glands and bovine brain, retina, pineal gland, liver and kidney. Pineal glands contain approximately ten times as much ESAF as the retina or grey and white matter from the cerebral cortex and a hundred times as much as highly vascular tissues such as liver and kidney. The relevance of these findings to the highly vascular nature of the pineal gland is discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anderson GM, Purdy WC (1979) Liquid chromatography — fluorometric system for the determination of indoles in physiological samples. Anal Chem 51: 283–286
Brown RA, Tomlinson IW, Hill CR, Weiss JB, Phillips P, Kumar S (1983) Relationship of angiogenesis factor in synovial fluid of various joint diseases. Ann Rheum Dis 42: 301–307
Brown RA, Taylor CM, McLaughlin B, McFarland CD, Weiss JB, Ali SY (1987) Identification of an angiogenic procollagenase activator from epiphyseal growth plate cartilage and mineralizing chondrocytes in culture. Bone Miner Res (accepted for publication)
Elstow SF, Schor AM, Weiss JB (1985) Bovine retinal angiogenesis factor is a small molecule. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 26: 74–79
Kumar R, Sriwastwa VMS (1986) Seasonal changes in the pineal organ of control and gonadectomized fish. J Pin Res 3: 111–118
Lowry OH, Rosenbrough MJ, Farr AL, Randall RJ (1951) Protein measurement with a folin protein reagent. J Biol Chem 193: 265–275
McNulty JA (1982) Morphological evidence for seasonal changes in the pineal organ of the goldfish. Reprod Nutr Dev 22: 1061–1072
Odedra R, Weiss JB (1987) A synergistic effect on microvessel cell proliferation between basic fibroblast growth factor and ESAF. Biochem Biophys Res Comm 143: 947–953
Pévet P, Smith AR (1975) The pineal gland of the mole (Talpa europaea) II. Ultrastructural variation observed in the pineolocytes during different parts of the sexual cycle. J Neural Transm 36: 227–248
Schor AM, Schor SL, Weiss JB, Brown RA, Kumar S, Phillips P (1980) Stimulation by a low molecular weight angiogenic factor of capillary endothelial cells in culture. Br J Cancer 41: 790–799
Taylor CM, Weiss JB, Kissun RD, Garner A (1986) Effect of oxygen tension on the quantities of procollagenase activating angiogenic factor present in the developing kitten retina. Br J Ophthalmol 70: 162–165
Taylor CM, Bennett, D, McLaughlin B, Weiss JB (1987) Variation in serum and synovial fluid ESAF levels in osteoarthritic dogs (in preparation)
Weiss JB, Brown RA, Kumar S, Phillips P (1979) An angiogenic factor isolated from tumours: a potent low-molecular-weight compound. Br J Cancer 40: 493–496
Weiss JB, Hill CR, Davis RJ, McLaughlin B, Sedowofia KA, Brown RA (1983) Activation of procollagenase by a low molecular weight angiogenesis factor. Biosci Rep 3: 171–177
Weiss JB, Elstow SF, Hill CR, McLaughlin B, Davidson EM, Schor A, Ayad SR (1984) Low molecular weight angiogenesis factor: a growth factor not unique to tumours which activates procollagenase. Prog Appl Microcirc 4: 76–87
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Taylor, C.M., McLaughlin, B., Weiss, J.B. et al. Bovine and human pineal glands contain substantial quantities of endothelial cell stimulating angiogenic factor. J. Neural Transmission 71, 79–84 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01259413
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01259413