Gender Differences in Baseline Levels of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in the Plasma of Alaskan Sled Dogs

Abstract

Angiogenesis and vasculogenesis are two very important processes in the development and maintenance of mammalian health. In sled dogs, the angiogenic role is to supply and support tissue with ample vasculature, thus providing a route of access for the transportation of essential nutrients, including oxygen and the removal of waste in a sustained fashion. VEGF has been shown to be a key mediating factor in the underlying cascade of chemical events leading to angiogenesis, which makes it a very important precursor molecule for both muscle development and early neoplasia detection. The overall purpose of this study was to establish circulatory baseline VEGF levels in healthy dogs to develop an alternative mammalian model. Mean VEGF levels were 19 pg mL‾¹ in sled dogs (n=20) and 5 pg mL‾¹ in beagles (n=4). There were significant baseline VEGF-ir differences between male and female dogs and exercising males and exercising females. In addition preliminary data on beagles suggest that breed may play a role in baseline VEGF-ir levels. This study is the first step in the biotechnological development of a diagnostic VEGF assay in dogs.