Inhibition of hypoxia-induced angiogenesis by cigarette smoke exposure: impairment of the HIF-1α/VEGF pathway

SPECIFIC AIMSCigarette smoking is the leading modifiable risk factor associated with premature death. This increased mortality is mainly attributed to the effect of cigarette smoke exposure on promoting the incidence of ischemic vascular diseases. Although the association between smoking and atherosclerosis is well established, the precise mechanisms involved are not completely understood. Moreover, the effects of smoking on compensatory mechanisms such as angiogenesis in the setting of severe vascular obstructions and tissue ischemia are currently unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cigarette smoking on the development of angiogenesis in response to vascular insufficiency and hypoxia. Because of the importance of HIF-1 and VEGF on the development of angiogenesis in response to hypoxia, we also studied the effect of cigarette smoke exposure on the expression of these factors.PRINCIPAL FINDINGS1. Cigarette smoke exposure impairs hypoxia-induced angiogenesisWe investigated the ef...