RAPID COMMUNICATION Angiogenic Factors Stimulate Mast-Cell Migration

Mast cells accumulate at sites of angiogenesis. The factor(s) that control mast-cell recruitment at hese sites have yet to be defined. We sought t o determine if angiogenic factors result in mast-cell chemotaxis. In this study, we observed that platelet-derived growth factor-AB (PDGF-AB), vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF), and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) each cause directed migration of murine mast cells at picomolar concentrations, with a typical bell-shaped dose-response curve. Another potent angiogenic factor, platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECGF), appears t o promote chemokinesis of mast cells, whereas tumor necrosis factor-a, a weak angiogenic factor, is less robust but still functions as a mast cell chemotactic factor. Epidermal growth factor IEGF), a growth factor with minimal angiogenic properties, was ineffective as a mast