1. Figure 5 Role of VEGF in stroke
Figure 5 | Role of VEGF in stroke. a | Occlusion of brain vessels causes a brain infarct (black) that is surrounded by a still viable but at-risk penumbra (red). b | Beneficial effects of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). VEGF levels during development determine the abundance of collaterals that can bypass occluded vessels and reduce infarct areas. Delayed treatment with VEGF can activate angiogenesis that supports tissue repair in the penumbra, or increase neuronal survival by directly activating VEGFR-2-mediated neuroprotection. c | Deleterious effects of VEGF. Excessive VEGF levels, particularly early after the infarct, might adversely affect stroke recovery via increased vascular leakage, oedema, obstruction of supply vessels through elevated interstitial pressure, and life-threatening intracranial hypertension. Increased leakage can transform the insult into a haemorrhagic infarct. Moreover, VEGF-induced blood–brain barrier (BBB) breakdown in the penumbra can damage neurons directly via disturbance of ion homeostasis and entry of inflammatory cells. EC, endothelial cell.
Lange, C. et al. (2016) Vascular endothelial growth factor: a neurovascular target in neurological diseases
Nat. Rev. Neurol. doi: /nrneurol