Vascular endothelial growth factor enhances angiotensin II-induced aneurysm formation in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) rupture ranks as the 13th leading cause of death in the United States and is responsible for 0.8% of all deaths. No pharmacologic treatment is currently available to inhibit aneurysm expansion or rupture, and the only treatment option is surgical repair by conventional or endovascular means. Previous studies have demonstrated that the AAA rupture site is associated with increased angiogenic response, including increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor. This study demonstrated that recombinant human vascular endothelial growth factor promoted the severity of experimental aneurysm formation. Angiogenesis may be a valid target for therapeutic intervention against aneurysms.