Double-transgenic this explanation RIP1-Tag2; RIP1-VEGFB mice expressed VEGF-B protein in pancreatic islets at high levels throughout the tumor progression pathway, as determined by immunostaining for human VEGF-B (Figure 2b). Moreover, tumors from RIP1-Tag2; RIP1-VEGFB mice contained abundant levels of human VEGF-B mRNA, as assessed by qRT-PCR, and protein, as assessed by ELISA (Figure S3a�Cb). No compensatory change was noted in the expression of mouse VEGF-B upon transgenic expression of human VEGF-B (Figure S3a). Figure 2 Characterization of the phenotype of tumors from RIP1-Tag2; RIP1-VEGFB mice. While RIP1-Tag2; RIP1-VEGFB mice presented with a similar number of tumors as RIP1-Tag2 mice (Figure 2c, left), expression of the VEGF-B transgene unexpectedly resulted in a significant reduction in total tumor burden by 39% (Figure 2c, right; 59.

0��8.2 mm3 vs 35.7��4.2 mm3; p<0.05). No difference in local tumor invasiveness was observed as a consequence of VEGF-B expression (Figure S4a). Next, we analyzed the growth of ��-cells in tumor lesions. Neither the proliferative index, as assessed by BrdU incorporation (Figure 2d, left) and phospho-Histone-3 staining (Figure S4b), nor the apoptotic index, as assessed by TUNEL assay (Figure 2d, right) and immunostaining for activated caspase-3 (Figure S4c), was significantly changed in double-transgenic RIP1-Tag2; RIP1-VEGFB mice as compared to single-transgenic RIP1-Tag2 mice. Also, no difference in terms of tumor cell density was observed (Figure S4d).

Possibly, transgenic expression of VEGF-B produces subtle changes in the proportion of cells in different cell cycle stages, including quiescent cells in G0, thus retarding overall tumor growth. Recently, new roles for VEGF-B in the regulation of pro-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family and in the regulation of expression of FATPs in the endothelium were described [10], [29], [30]. However, we found no VEGF-B-dependent changes in the expression of BH3-only proteins, or of FATPs, in whole tumor lysates, and there was no discernible difference in fatty acid accumulation in RIP1-Tag2 lesions upon transgenic expression of VEGF-B (Figure S5a�Cb). Thus, expression of VEGF-B in the context of RIP1-Tag2 tumorigenesis significantly retarded tumor growth without affecting the rates of proliferation or apoptosis of ��-tumor cells.

Microvessels of RIP1-Tag2 tumors have a thicker diameter upon transgenic expression of VEGF-B To assess whether VEGF-B, by signaling through its receptor VEGFR-1 on endothelial cells, affects the angiogenic phenotype of RIP1-Tag2 tumors, we analyzed vascular parameters in RIP1-Tag2; RIP1-VEGFB mice. Immunostaining for the endothelial cell marker CD31 revealed no difference Anacetrapib in the blood vessel content of VEGF-B-expressing lesions, compared to control lesions (Figure 3a�Cb).