Ephrin-B2/Fc promotes proliferation and migration, and suppresses apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Abstract

Tumor growth and metastasis are angiogenesis dependent. Angiogenic growth involves endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Ephrin-B2 is a ligand for Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and is an important mediator in vascular endothelial growth factor-mediated angiogenesis. However, research offer controversial information regarding effects of ephrin-B2 on vascular endothelial cells. In this paper, proteome analyses showed that ephrin-B2/Fc significantly activates multiple signaling pathways related to cell proliferation, survival, and migration and suppresses apoptosis and cell death. Cytological experiments further confirm that ephrin-B2/Fc stimulates endothelial cell proliferation, triggers dose-dependent migration, and suppresses cell apoptosis. Results demonstrate that soluble dose-dependent ephrinB2 can promote proliferation and migration and inhibit apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. These results also suggest that ephrinB2 prevents ischemic disease and can potentially be a new therapeutic target for treating angiogenesis-related diseases and tumors.