Transluminal Pillars—Their Origin and Role in the Remodelling of the Zebrafish Caudal Vein Plexus

Intussusceptive pillars, regarded as a hallmark of intussusceptive angiogenesis, have been described in developing vasculature of many organs and organisms. The aim of this study was to resolve the question about pillar formation and their further maturation employing zebrafish caudal vein plexus (C...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Helena Röss, Dea Aaldijk, Mykhailo Vladymyrov, Adolfo Odriozola, Valentin Djonov
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-11-01
Series:International Journal of Molecular Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/23/16703
Description
Summary:Intussusceptive pillars, regarded as a hallmark of intussusceptive angiogenesis, have been described in developing vasculature of many organs and organisms. The aim of this study was to resolve the question about pillar formation and their further maturation employing zebrafish caudal vein plexus (CVP). The CVP development was monitored by in vivo confocal microscopy in high spatio-temporal resolution using the transgenic zebrafish model <i>Fli1a:eGPF//Gata1:dsRed</i>. We tracked back the formation of pillars (diameter ≤ 4 µm) and intercapillary meshes (diameter > 4 µm) and analysed their morphology and behaviour. Transluminal pillars in the CVP arose via a combination of sprouting, lumen expansion, and/or the creation of intraluminal folds, and those mechanisms were not associated directly with blood flow. The follow-up of pillars indicated that one-third of them disappeared between 28 and 48 h post fertilisation (hpf), and of the remaining ones, only 1/17 changed their cross-section area by >50%. The majority of the bigger meshes (39/62) increased their cross-section area by >50%. Plexus simplification and the establishment of hierarchy were dominated by the dynamics of intercapillary meshes, which formed mainly via sprouting angiogenesis. These meshes were observed to grow, reshape, and merge with each other. Our observations suggested an alternative view on intussusceptive angiogenesis in the CVP.
ISSN:1661-6596
1422-0067