The expression of vegf in rat fracture reparative callus

The present study has determined the histological changes, VEGF (Vascular en- dothelial growth factor) mRNA alternative expressions and VEGF mRNA levels in chondrogenic- callus, osteogenic-callus and total callus by histology, RT-PCR and Northern blot during rat frac- ture repair. The results showed that the cellular events of intramembranous ossification, chodrogen- esis and endochondral ossification appeared in the callus simultaneously and sequentially. The VEGF mRNAs were expressed in the osteogenic-callus and the chondrogenic-callus, and the strongest expressions were VEGF_(120) and VEGF_(164) mRNA. The VEGF mRNA levels in the total cal- lus increased with time after fracture. Take together, these findings suggest that osteogenesis-de- rived VEGF may play a potential role to modulate the differentiation process of osteogenic and chondrogenic cells during fracture repair.