Rat VEGF-C ELISA Kit

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-C (VEGF-C) is a critical member of the VEGF family, a group of dimeric glycoproteins that play pivotal roles in regulating vascular and lymphatic biology. Unlike other VEGF isoforms (such as VEGF-A, which is primarily associated with blood vessel angiogenesis), VEGF-C exhibits unique specificity for both vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) and VEGFR-3—receptors predominantly expressed on vascular endothelial cells and lymphatic endothelial cells, respectively. This dual-receptor binding ability makes VEGF-C a key mediator of both angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels) and lymphangiogenesis (the formation of new lymphatic vessels), two biological processes essential for normal physiological development and pathological progression.

In physiological contexts, VEGF-C is indispensable for embryonic development, particularly in the formation of the lymphatic system. It drives the proliferation, migration, and differentiation of lymphatic endothelial progenitor cells, laying the foundation for the development of a functional lymphatic network that maintains tissue fluid balance and immune surveillance. Postnatally, VEGF-C remains active in tissue repair and regeneration; for example, it contributes to wound healing by promoting the growth of blood vessels to supply oxygen and nutrients, and lymphatic vessels to clear tissue edema and inflammatory debris.

In pathological scenarios, aberrant VEGF-C expression is closely linked to multiple diseases, making its accurate detection critical for research and potential clinical translation:
Cancer Research: Tumor growth and metastasis rely heavily on the establishment of blood and lymphatic networks to obtain nutrients and escape to distant organs. VEGF-C is frequently overexpressed in various solid tumors (e.g., breast cancer, colorectal cancer, melanoma, and ovarian cancer). It promotes lymphangiogenesis within and around tumors, creating "lymphatic highways" for tumor cells to invade lymph nodes and spread systemically. Detecting VEGF-C levels in tumor tissues, serum, or cell culture supernatants helps researchers understand tumor progression mechanisms, evaluate the efficacy of anti-angiogenic/anti-lymphangiogenic therapies, and identify potential prognostic markers.
Lymphatic Disorder Studies: Diseases such as lymphedema (characterized by tissue swelling due to impaired lymphatic drainage) and lymphangioma (a benign lymphatic vessel tumor) are associated with dysregulated VEGF-C/VEGFR-3 signaling. Measuring VEGF-C expression aids in investigating the pathogenesis of these disorders and developing targeted treatment strategies.
Inflammatory and Vascular Diseases: Chronic inflammatory conditions (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis) and vascular disorders (e.g., diabetic retinopathy) often involve abnormal angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. VEGF-C levels serve as a biological indicator to assess disease activity and response to anti-inflammatory or vascular-protective treatments.

Against this backdrop, the Rat VEGF-C ELISA Kit (Cat.No: EC-0029) from Alta Diagno Tech is developed to meet the growing demand for precise, reliable, and convenient VEGF-C detection in rat models. Rat models are widely used in biomedical research due to their genetic and physiological similarity to humans, as well as their ease of handling and reproducibility in experimental designs. Whether studying tumor metastasis in orthotopic rat tumor models, investigating lymphatic development in transgenic rat strains, or evaluating therapeutic candidates in rat models of inflammatory diseases, this ELISA kit provides researchers with a robust tool to quantify rat VEGF-C levels, enabling in-depth exploration of VEGF-C-mediated biological processes and accelerating scientific discoveries.