Polyethylene glycol-modified pigment epithelial-derived factor: new prospects for treatment of retinal neovascularization

J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2012 Jul;342(1):131-9. doi: 10.1124/jpet.112.192575. Epub 2012 Apr 10.

Abstract

Pathological retinal neovascularization and choroidal neovascularization are major causes of vision loss in a variety of clinical conditions, such as retinopathy of prematurity, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. Pigment epithelial-derived factor (PEDF) has been found to be the most potent natural, endogenous inhibitor of neovascularization, but its application is restricted because of its instability and short half-life. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) has been used as a drug carrier to slow clearance rate for decades. The present study investigated PEGylated-PEDF for the first time and evaluated its long-term effects on preventing angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. PEG showed lower cytotoxicity to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). In vitro, PEGylated-PEDF inhibited HUVEC proliferation, migration, tube formation, and vascular endothelium growth factor secretion and induced HUVEC apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner, and it showed a statistically significant difference compared with the PEDF treatment group. In vivo, PEGylated-PEDF had a long-lasting effect in both plasma and retinal concentrations. In an oxygen-induced retinopathy model, one intravitreous injection of PEGylated-PEDF after mouse pups were moved into room air resulted in a significant difference in the inhibition of retinal neovascularization, which decreased the nonperfusion area, compared with the PEDF-treated group. Our present study demonstrated for the first time the long-term inhibitory effects of PEGylated-PEDF on the prevention of neovascularization in vitro and in vivo. These data suggest that PEGylated-PEDF could offer an innovative therapeutic strategy for preventing retinal neovascularization.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Cell Movement / drug effects
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Choroidal Neovascularization / metabolism
  • Choroidal Neovascularization / prevention & control
  • Eye Proteins / administration & dosage*
  • Eye Proteins / genetics
  • Eye Proteins / metabolism
  • Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / drug effects
  • Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / metabolism
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / prevention & control
  • Nerve Growth Factors / administration & dosage*
  • Nerve Growth Factors / genetics
  • Nerve Growth Factors / metabolism
  • Polyethylene Glycols / administration & dosage*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Recombinant Proteins / administration & dosage*
  • Recombinant Proteins / blood
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics
  • Retina / drug effects*
  • Retina / metabolism
  • Retina / pathology
  • Retinal Neovascularization / drug therapy*
  • Retinal Neovascularization / metabolism
  • Serpins / administration & dosage*
  • Serpins / genetics
  • Serpins / metabolism
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / metabolism

Substances

  • Eye Proteins
  • Nerve Growth Factors
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Serpins
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • pigment epithelium-derived factor
  • Polyethylene Glycols