Expression of VEGF and Flk-1 and Flt-1 Receptors during Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) Impairment Following Phoneutria nigriventer Spider Venom Exposure

Toxins 2013, 5, 2572-2588; doi:10.3390/toxins5122572
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toxins
ISSN 2072-6651 www.mdpi.com/journal/toxins Article

Expression of VEGF and Flk-1 and Flt-1 Receptors during
Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) Impairment Following
Phoneutria nigriventer Spider Venom Exposure
Monique C. P. Mendonça 1,2, Edilene S. Soares 2, Leila M. Stávale 2, Catarina Rapôso 2,
Andressa Coope 3, Evanguedes Kalapothakis 4 and Maria Alice da Cruz-Höfling 1,2,*
1

2

3

4

Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas
(Unicamp) Campinas, SP 13083-887, Brazil; E-Mail: [e-mail]
Department of Histology and Embryology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas
(Unicamp) Campinas, SP 13083-863, Brazil; E-Mails: [e-mail] (E.S.S.); [e-mail] (L.M.S.); [e-mail] (C.R.)
Cell Signaling Laboratory, Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas (Unicamp),
Campinas, SP 13081-970, Brazil; E-Mail: [e-mail]
Department of General Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas
Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil; E-Mail: [e-mail]

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: [e-mail];
Tel.: [phone]; Fax: [phone].
Received: 23 October 2013; in revised form: 30 November 2013 / Accepted: 3 December 2013 /
Published: 18 December 2013

Abstract: Apart from its angiogenic and vascular permeation activity, the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been also reported as a potent neuronal protector.
Newborn rats with low VEGF levels develop neuron degeneration, while high levels induce protective mechanisms in several neuropathological conditions. Phoneutria nigriventer spider venom (PNV) disrupts the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and causes neuroinflammation in central neurons along with excitotoxic signals in rats and humans. All these