We have previously proposed that the endothelial cell growth and maintenance factor vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is critically important for the health of lung microvascular endothelial cells [12], and because experimental strategies to decrease the expression of lung tissue VEGF or inhibit its actions have resulted in emphysema [13], we examined the lung tissue mRNA expression of VEGF from the copper-deficient rats and found decreased VEGF mRNA and protein expression levels of the mRNA. Here, VEGFA is linked to pulmonary emphysema.