Isolation and culture of microvascular endothelium from human adipose tissue.

The study of human endothelial cells in tissue culture has been previously limited to umbilical vein, a large vessel source, and microvascular endothelium from human foreskin, spleen, and adrenal. Microvascular endothelium cultured from these sources have required matrix-coated culture flasks, tumor-conditioned medium, or 50% human serum for growth and subcultivation. To obtain cultures of microvascular endothelium with less stringent growth requirements, human adipose tissue was digested with collagenase and endothelial cells were separated from other stromal elements by sequential filtration and layering cells onto 5% albumin. Using standard medium containing 10% fetal calf serum, these cells grew readily to confluence and survived serial passages. When the cultures were subconfluent, cytoplasmic extensions and a capillary-like morphology were observed. Confluent cultures displayed the "cobblestone" appearance characteristic of other endothelial preparations. Electron microscopy demonstrated the presence of characteristic tight junctions and pinocytotic vesicles. Immunofluorescent staining for Factor VIII was positive, and cultures contained angiotensin-converting enzyme activity. Thus, cultures of human microvascular endothelium were readily obtained from adipose tissue and required only standard medium with 10% serum for growth and subcultivation. This system can be used to study human endothelial cell biology and may prove useful in the study of pathologic states such as diabetic microvasculopathy and tumor angiogenesis.     

Transplanted endothelial cells repopulate the liver endothelium and correct the phenotype of hemophilia A mice

Transplantation of healthy cells to repair organ damage or replace deficient functions constitutes a major goal of cell therapy. However, the mechanisms by which transplanted cells engraft, proliferate, and function remain unknown. To investigate whether host liver sinusoidal endothelium could be replaced with transplanted liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, we developed an animal model of tissue replacement that utilized a genetic system to identify transplanted cells and induced host-cell perturbations to confer a proliferative advantage to transplanted cells. Under these experimental conditions, transplanted cells engrafted efficiently and proliferated to replace substantial portions of the liver endothelium. Tissue studies demonstrated that transplanted cells became integral to the liver structure and reacquired characteristic endothelial morphology. Characterization of transplanted endothelial cells by membrane markers and studies of cellular function, including synthesis and release of coagulation factor VIII, demonstrated that transplanted cells were functionally intact. Further analysis showed that repopulation of the livers of mice that model hemophilia A with healthy endothelial cells restored plasma factor VIII activity and corrected their bleeding phenotype. Our studies therefore suggest that transplantation of healthy endothelial cells should be considered for cell therapy of relevant disorders and that endothelial reconstitution with transplanted cells may offer an excellent paradigm for defining organ-specific pathophysiological mechanisms.     

Tumor necrosis factor/cachectin interacts with endothelial cell receptors to induce release of interleukin 1

Tumor necrosis factor/cachectin (TNF) has been implicated as a mediator of the host response in sepsis and neoplasia. Recent work has shown that TNF can modulate endothelial cell hemostatic properties, suggesting that endothelium is a target tissue for TNF. This led us to examine whether endothelial cells have specific binding sites for TNF and augment the biological response to TNF by elaborating the inflammatory mediator, IL-1. Incubation of 125I-recombinant human TNF with confluent, cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells resulted in time-dependent, reversible, and saturable binding. Binding was half-maximal at a TNF concentration of 105 +/- 40 pM, and at saturation 1,500 molecules were bound per cell. Heat-treated TNF, which is biologically inactive, did not bind to endothelium. In addition to surface binding, TNF induced the elaboration of IL-1 activity by endothelial cells in a time-dependent manner. Generation of IL-1 activity required protein synthesis and was half-maximal at a TNF concentration of 50 +/- 20 pM. IL-1 activity from TNF-treated endothelium could be adsorbed by an immobilized antibody to IL-1. Heat-treated TNF was ineffective in eliciting endothelial cell IL-1. These data indicate that TNF can bind specifically to endothelium and initiate a cascade of inflammatory and coagulant events on the vessel surface potentially central to the host response to neoplasia and sepsis.     

兔主动脉内皮细胞培养及鉴定:内皮细胞分离方式及培养条件的改良

背景:获取内皮细胞的方法有机械刮取、组织块移植和酶消化法3种.一直以来,内皮细胞的培养方法也在不断的更新.目的:探讨兔主动脉内皮细胞的培养和鉴定方法.方法:取1周龄新西兰大耳白兔主动脉,剥去外膜,内膜面向下铺入2 g/L Ⅰ型胶原酶、2 g/L Ⅲ型胶原酶,2 g/L Ⅳ型胶原酶和2 g/L Ⅴ型胶原酶混合消化液中(按1:1:1:1:1混合)消化20min,按1:1加入培养基以终止消化.轻轻刮下内膜层细胞,将细胞悬液离心,用DMEM培养液(含胎生血清20%、VEGF 1 μg/L、bFGF 2 μg/L,庆大霉素6 U/L)混匀沉淀细胞,吹打分散至单个细胞培养,48 h后用首次换液.再按1:2分瓶传代培养.采用倒置相差显微镜观察细胞培养结果.免疫组织化学及免疫荧光鉴定Ⅷ因子相关抗原.电镜观察Weibel-Paladed小体.结果与结论:体外获得并培养5代内皮细胞.Ⅷ因子相关抗原及电镜观察W-P小体均证实实验成功的培养了原代及传代内皮细胞.提示兔主动脉内皮细胞可从主动脉获得并通过培养成为细胞系,Ⅷ因子相关抗原及电镜观察W-P小体联合鉴定是确定内皮细胞的良好方法.     

Neutrophil adherence to human endothelial cells

These studies evaluated whether the increased adherence of neutrophils to endothelium after exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) endotoxin is primarily an effect on neutrophils or on endothelial cells. The studies demonstrate that preincubation of monolayers of human umbilical vein endothelial cells with LPS has a significantly greater effect on neutrophil adherence to endothelium than does preincubation of neutrophils with LPS (P less than 0.001 for each amount of LPS). Although the effect was small compared with incubation of endothelial cells with LPS, incubation of neutrophils with LPS did significantly increase their subsequent adherence to endothelial cells compared with controls (P less than 0.05). LPS was not toxic to either endothelial cells or neutrophils, as measured by the release of lactate dehydrogenase. Preincubation of endothelial cells with LPS at a concentration of 1.0 to 10 micrograms/ml maximally increased their ability to bind to neutrophils, and this effect was maximally expressed after 4 hours of exposure to LPS. In the assay, neutrophil binding to LPS-stimulated endothelial cells was rapid and did not increase after 30 minutes of coculture of neutrophils and endothelium. Morphologic studies demonstrated that LPS opened cell-to-cell junctions between endothelial cells. Neutrophils that attached to these monolayers of LPS-stimulated endothelial cells bound, primarily, to the margins of the endothelial cells and not to the underlying tissue culture dishes, which were exposed after incubation with LPS. These observations suggest that LPS increases neutrophil adherence primarily, but not solely, via an effect on endothelial cells.     

Endothelial receptor-mediated binding of glucose-modified albumin is associated with increased monolayer permeability and modulation of cell surface coagulant properties

Advanced glycosylation end products (AGE) of proteins accumulate in the vasculature with diabetes and aging, and are thought to be associated with vascular complications. This led us to examine the interaction of AGE-BSA as a prototype of this class of nonenzymatically glycosylated proteins subjected to further processing, with endothelium. Incubation of 125I-AGE-BSA with cultured bovine endothelium resulted in time-dependent, saturable binding that was half-maximal at a concentration of approximately 100 nM. Although unlabeled normal BSA was not a competitor, unlabeled AGE-BSA was an effective competitor of 125I-AGE-BSA-endothelial cell interaction. In addition, AGE modification of two alternative proteins, hemoglobin and ribonuclease, rendered them inhibitors of 125I-AGE-BSA binding to endothelium, although the native, unmodified forms of these proteins were not. At 37 degrees C, binding of 125I-AGE-BSA or gold-labeled AGE-BSA was followed by internalization and subsequent segregation either to a lysosomal compartment or to the endothelial-derived matrix after transcytosis. Exposure of endothelium to AGE-BSA led to perturbation of two important endothelial cell homeostatic properties, coagulant and barrier function. AGE-BSA downregulated the anticoagulant endothelial cofactor thrombomodulin, and induced synthesis and cell surface expression of the procoagulant cofactor tissue factor over the same range of concentrations that resulted in occupancy of cell surface AGE-BSA binding sites. In addition, AGE-BSA increased endothelial permeability, resulting in accelerated passage of an inert macromolecular tracer, [3H]inulin, across the monolayer. These results indicate that AGE derivatives of proteins, potentially important constituents of pathologic vascular tissue, bind to specific sites on the endothelial cell surface and modulate central endothelial cell functions. The interaction of AGE-modified proteins with endothelium may play an important role in the early stages of increased vascular permeability, as well as vessel wall-related abnormalities of the coagulation system, characteristic of diabetes and aging.     

Heart CD36 expression is increased in murine models of diabetes and in mice fed a high fat diet.

High levels of CD36 expression are found in triglyceride storing and secreting cells such as differentiated adipocytes and mammary secretory epithelial cells and in some capillary endothelial cells. We have found high levels of CD36 in the capillary endothelium of murine adipose tissue and in cardiac and skeletal muscles. Muscle cells themselves were CD36 negative. No CD36 was found in brain endothelium. Cardiac and skeletal muscle tissues are highly oxidative and catabolize long-chain fatty acids as a source of energy while brain tissue does not use long-chain fatty acids for energy production. Since capillary endothelial cell CD36 expression appeared to correlate with parenchymal cell fatty acid utilization and since CD26 has been identified recently as a long-chain fatty acid-binding protein, we examined heart tissue CD36 expression in murine models of insulin-dependent (nonobese diabetic, NOD) and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (KKAY). Diabetic NOD and KKAY mice had serum triglyceride levels 2.6- and 4.2-fold higher, respectively, than normal mice and exhibited 7- and 3.5-fold higher levels of heart microsomal CD36, respectively, than control mice. Mice fed a 40% fat diet expressed heart tissue CD36 at a level 3.5-fold higher than those fed a 9% fat diet. These data suggest that endothelial cell CD36 expression is related to parenchymal cell lipid metabolism.     

Oncolytic HSV exerts direct antiangiogenic activity in ovarian carcinoma

In the present study, we investigated the ability of replication-restricted herpes simplex virus (HSV) 1716 lacking ICP34.5 to infect endothelium and disrupt tumor vasculature. HSV-1716 efficiently infected and killed mouse endothelial cell lines H5V and MS1 cells, as well as human umbilical vein endothelial cells in vitro. Capillary tube formation by endothelial cells was inhibited by HSV-1716 in vitro and in vivo. Following intratumoral administration of oncolytic HSV-1716, HSV-glycoproteins could be detected in CD31-positive tumor vascular endothelium by immunostaining. Viral DNA was recovered from highly purified microdissected tumor vascular endothelium. Furthermore, endothelium of tumors treated with HSV-1716 exhibited expression of tissue factor, a marker of endothelial damage. Importantly, HSV antigen and DNA were also detected in endothelium distant from foci of active tumor infection. After intravascular inoculation of HSV-1716, viral glycoproteins were detected in association to tumor endothelium, but not vascular endothelium of different organs. Purified tumor endothelial cells showed high proliferative capability and were susceptible to HSV-1716 infection and killing ex vivo while endothelium from normal organs was not. We conclude that oncolytic HSV-1716 exerts direct antiangiogenic effects, which may contribute to the overall therapeutic efficacy of the virus.     

Sickle erythrocyte adherence to large vessel and microvascular endothelium under physiologic flow is qualitatively different.

Complications in sickle syndromes are thought to result from regional disturbances of normal blood flow with subsequent ischemic damage. Adherence of sickle erythrocytes has been implicated in the pathophysiology of occlusive complications. Most previous studies have explored adherence of sickle erythrocytes to endothelial cells from large vessels, even though the majority of the pathophysiologic models implicate the microvascular system. To explore potential variation in endothelial interactions at low shear rates, adherence of sickle erythrocytes to large vessel umbilical vein endothelium and microvascular endothelium was compared under flow conditions in a parallel-plate flow chamber at a shear stress of 1.0 dyne/cm2. Autologous plasma promotes high levels of sickle red cell adherence to microvascular endothelial cells, but only low levels of adherence to human umbilical vein endothelium. On average, autologous plasma promotes sixfold more sickle cell red adherence to microvascular endothelial cells. In contrast to umbilical vein endothelium, high molecular von Willebrand factor does not elevate sickle cell adherence to microvascular endothelial cells, and the integrin receptor agonist peptide, RGD, does not inhibit adherence to microvascular endothelial cells. These results demonstrate that sickle erythrocyte adherence to large vessel and microvascular endothelium is quantitatively and qualitatively different and that plasma factors may have significant impact on sickle erythrocyte adherence to endothelium in the microvessels. Since microvascular occlusion has been suggested as an antecedent of ischemic damage in sickle syndromes, plasma enhanced adherence to microvascular endothelium may contribute to the pathophysiology of episodic occlusion in sickle cell anemia.     

Heparan sulfate proteoglycan on leukemic cells is primarily involved in integrin triggering and its mediated adhesion to endothelial cells

Leukocyte migration from circulation into tissue depends on leukocyte integrin-mediated adhesion to endothelium, but integrins cannot function until activated. However, it remains to be understood how tumor cells adhere to endothelium and infiltrate into underlying tissue. We studied mechanisms of extravasation of leukemic cells using adult T cell leukemia (ATL) cells and report the following novel features of cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan on ATL cells in ATL cell adhesion to endothelium: ATL cells adhere to endothelial cells through already activated integrins without exogenous stimulation; different from any other hematopoietic cells, ATL cells express a characteristic heparan sulfate capable of immobilizing heparin-binding chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1 beta, a potent T cell integrin trigger, produced by the cells themselves; competitive interruption of endogenous heparan sulfate proteoglycan synthesis reduces cell surface MIP-1 beta and prevents ATL cells from integrin- mediated adhesion to endothelial cells or intercellular adhesion molecule-1 triggered through G-protein. We propose that leukemic cells adhere to endothelial cells through the adhesion cascade, similar to normal leukocyte, and that the cell surface heparan sulfate, particularly on ATL cells, is pivotally involved in chemokine-dependent autocrine stimulation of integrin triggering by immobilizing the chemokine on them.     

Neutrophil-endothelial cell interactions. Modulation of neutrophil adhesiveness induced by complement fragments C5a and C5a des arg and formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine in vitro.

Neutrophil adherence to vascular endothelial cells is the initial event in the emigration of neutrophils through blood vessel walls to tissue sites of inflammation; this process is attributed to the generation of extravascular chemotactic factors. To investigate the effect of chemotactic factors on neutrophil adherence to endothelium, we developed a sensitive, reproducible in vitro microtiter adherence assay. Base-line nonstimulated adhesion of human neutrophils to cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cell monolayers was 35.2 +/- 0.9%, which is equivalent to three to four neutrophils per endothelial cell. Addition of either purified complement fragment C5a des arg, or formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP), in concentrations ranging from 10(-10) to 10(-6) M, increased neutrophil adherence to endothelium in a dose-dependent manner. Purified C5a and C5a des arg were essentially equal in their ability to enhance neutrophil adherence, in contrast to the previously described greater in vitro potency of C5a compared with C5a des arg in stimulating neutrophil chemotaxis and enzyme release. Nonstimulated neutrophils adhered preferentially to human endothelial cells compared with fibroblasts or smooth muscle cells, suggesting that endothelial cells may make a unique contribution to the base-line adhesive interaction. However, chemotactic factors appear to enhance neutrophil adherence to endothelium by exerting an effect primarily on the neutrophil. In the presence of chemotactic factor, neutrophils adhered equally well to different cell types or to protein-coated plastic. Pretreatment of endothelial cells with chemotactic factor for as long as 4 h failed to increase subsequent neutrophil adherence. In contrast, pretreatment of neutrophils with chemotactic factor increased adherence to endothelium. Chemotactic factor-stimulated neutrophil adherence to endothelium occurred rapidly (within 2 min), diminished upon removal of stimulus, but could be rapidly and maximally restimulated upon readdition of the original dose of chemotactic factor. Thus, adherence to endothelium stimulated by chemotactic factor would appear to be a dynamic neutrophil response capable of rapid modulation, possibly important to the ability of neutrophils to adhere to and then migrate through vessel walls to localize at sites of inflammation.     

Endothelial cells stimulate osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells on calcium phosphate scaffolds

The interaction of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with endothelium in vivo is significant for regenerative processes in organisms. To design concepts for tissue engineering for bone regeneration based on this interaction, the osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow‐derived MSCs in a co‐culture with human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMECs) was studied. The experiments were focussed on the regulation of MSCs in a co‐culture with HDMECs on different calcium phosphate scaffolds. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and mRNA expression of various osteogenic markers increased significantly when cells were co‐cultured on materials with calcium phosphate scaffolds compared to tissue culture polystyrene or when MSCs were cultured alone. In addition, it was observed that the expression of osteopontin and osteocalcin was highly sensitive to the substrate for cell adhesion. Whereas these late osteogenic markers were down‐regulated in co‐cultures on polystyrene, they were up‐regulated on calcium phosphate and moreover, were differentially expressed on the three calcium phosphate scaffolds tested. To enhance the osteogenic differentiation of MSCs in a co‐culture, direct cell‐cell interactions were required. Concerning molecular mechanisms in the interactions between both cell types, it was found that connexin 43 was expressed in contact sites and more apparently, endothelial cells grew over the MSCs, which facilitated direct cellular interactions mediated by various adhesion receptors. This study revealed significant findings for the design of implant materials suitable for regeneration of bone by stimulating the functional interaction of MSCs with endothelial cells. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

脓毒症与内皮细胞损伤

脓毒症的发病率和死亡率一直居世界首位。内皮细胞损伤导致多器官功能障碍增加了脓毒症的严重程度和死亡风险。在这篇综述中,我们阐述了内皮细胞在正常生理条件下的功能和在脓毒症时的功能变化,其中包括内皮细胞形态学的改变,内皮细胞促粘附、促凝、抗纤溶的功能改变和降低了对血管张力的调节。内皮细胞可能成为我们治疗脓毒症的靶点。     

高压氧对一氧化碳中毒大鼠血管内皮及其功能损伤的修复作用

目的探讨急性一氧化碳中毒对大鼠血管内皮及其细胞功能的影响和高压氧治疗的作用. 方法参照 Jiang式染毒法制成一氧化碳中毒大鼠模型,有相应对照地、分别对中毒后即刻和次日起每日 1次高压氧治疗的第 1, 3, 7, 14天后血中一氧化氮、内皮素-1和循环内皮细胞计数进行测定. 结果①一氧化碳中毒后即刻机体血中一氧化氮水平显著降低,内皮素- 1水平和循环内皮细胞计数显著升高;②高压氧后中毒大鼠血中一氧化氮水平显著回升,内皮素-1水平和循环内皮细胞计数显著回降,其后上述指标均逐渐趋于恢复到正常水平. 结论①一氧化碳中毒可导致机体严重的血管内皮及其细胞功能损伤;②血中一氧化氮、内皮素-1和循环内皮细胞计数指标的单独或联合检测,可作为临床上判断一氧化碳中毒患者血管内皮及其功能损伤程度、评估疗效和预后的重要手段.     

Basic fibroblast growth factor stimulates endothelial regrowth and proliferation in denuded arteries.

A large percentage of vascular reconstructions, endarterectomies, and angioplasties fail postoperatively due to thrombosis and restenosis. Many of these failures are thought to result from an inability of the vascular endothelium to adequately regenerate and cover the denuded area. After balloon catheter denudation of the rat carotid artery, regrowth of endothelium ceases after approximately 6 wk, leaving a large area devoid of endothelium. Here we show that this cessation of reendothelialization can be overcome by the systemic administration of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Administration of 120 micrograms bFGF over an 8-h period caused a highly significant increase in the replication rate of endothelial cells at the leading edge of 38.5 vs. 2.1% in controls, and, when given over a longer period of time (12 micrograms daily for 12 d), resulted in a significant increase in the extent of endothelial outgrowth onto the denuded surface. Furthermore, total regrowth could be achieved within 10 wk after balloon catheter denudation when 12 micrograms bFGF was injected twice per week for a period of 8 wk. Endothelium in unmanipulated arteries responded to bFGF with a significant increase in replication, but no increase in endothelial cell density was observed in these arteries. These data demonstrate that bFGF can act as a potent mitogen for vascular endothelial cells in vivo, and add considerably to our understanding of the mechanism underlying endothelial repair after in vivo vascular injuries.     

Oxidized LDL activates fas-mediated endothelial cell apoptosis.

Oxidized low density lipoproteins (OxLDL) promote chronic inflammatory responses in the vasculature that give rise to atherosclerotic plaques. Fas ligand (FasL) is naturally expressed on the vascular endothelium where it can induce apoptosis in Fas-expressing immune cells as they enter the vessel wall. Although vascular endothelial cells are normally resistant to Fas-mediated cell death, OxLDL were shown to induce apoptosis in cultured endothelial cells and endothelium of arterial explants by a process that could be inhibited with Fas L neutralizing antibodies. OxLDL-induced cell death was also reduced in the aortic endothelium cultured from gld (FasL-/-) and lpr (Fas-/-) mice as compared with wild-type mice. OxLDL acted by sensitizing endothelial cells to death signals from the Fas receptor. Thus, the ability of OxLDL to promote Fas-mediated endothelial cell suicide may be a feature that contributes to their atherogenicity.     

Proinflammatory stimuli regulate endothelial hyaluronan expression and CD44/HA-dependent primary adhesion.

The localization of circulating leukocytes within inflamed tissues occurs as the result of interactions with and migration across vascular endothelium, and is governed, in part, by the expression of adhesion molecules on both cell types. Recently, we have described a novel primary adhesion interaction between the structurally activated form of the adhesion molecule CD44 on lymphocytes and its major ligand hyaluronan on endothelial cells under physiologic laminar flow conditions, and have proposed that this interaction functions in an extravasation pathway for lymphocytes in vascular beds at sites of inflammation. While the regulation of activated CD44 on leukocytes has been characterized in depth, regulation of hyaluronate (HA) on endothelial cells has not been extensively studied. Here we demonstrate that the expression of HA on cultured endothelial cell lines and primary endothelial cultures is inducible by the proinflammatory cytokines TNFalpha and IL-1beta, as well as bacterial lipopolysaccharide. In addition, this inducibility appears strikingly restricted to endothelial cells derived from microvascular, but not large vessel, sources. The elevated HA levels thus induced result in increased CD44-dependent adhesive interactions in both nonstatic shear and laminar flow adhesion assays. Changes in mRNA levels for the described HA synthetic and degradative enzymes were not found, suggesting other more complex mechanisms of regulation. Together, these data add to the selectin and immunoglobulin gene families a new inducible endothelial adhesive molecule, hyaluronan, and help to further our understanding of the potential physiologic roles of the CD44/HA interaction; i.e., local cytokine production within inflamed vascular beds may enhance surface hyaluronan expression on endothelial cells, thereby creating local sites receptive to the CD44/HA interaction and thus extravasation of inflammatory cells.     

GMP-140, a platelet alpha-granule membrane protein, is also synthesized by vascular endothelial cells and is localized in Weibel-Palade bodies.

We used an immunoperoxidase procedure to examine the tissue distribution of the platelet alpha-granule membrane protein, GMP-140. In addition to its presence in megakaryocytes and platelets, GMP-140 antigen was found in vascular endothelial cells of diverse human organs, but it was not detected in other types of secretory cells. [35S]Cysteine-labeled human umbilical vein endothelial cells synthesized a GMP-140 molecule containing complex N-linked oligosaccharides similar to those previously demonstrated in platelets and the megakaryocytic HEL cell line. Using an immunogold procedure on frozen thin sections of endothelial cells, we found GMP-140 antigen to be localized to membranes of electron-dense storage granules. In double-label experiments there was colocalization of GMP-140 with vWf, indicating that these granules are Weibel-Palade bodies. When endothelial cells were stimulated with histamine, GMP-140 rapidly redistributed to the plasma membrane. Immunoassays of cell lysates indicated that, relative to total cell protein, less GMP-140 is present in human umbilical vein endothelial cells than in platelets. The restricted expression of GMP-140 in secretory granules of platelets and endothelium suggests that it has a specific function in the vascular system rather than a general role related to inducible secretion.     

Functional neurokinin 1 receptors for substance P are expressed by human vascular endothelium

Substance P (SP), a neurotachykinin, is important in a number of inflammatory processes in which the endothelial cell also plays a critical role. SP receptors have previously been identified only on arterial endothelium, and the scant in vitro evidence for direct effects of SP on human endothelium is based on studies using nonarterial cells. To better understand SP's role in inflammation, we sought to identify functional SP receptors on human endothelium in situ and in culture. Autoradiographic ligand binding to human umbilical cord sections demonstrates the presence of SP binding sites with characteristics of the neurokinin 1 (NK-1) receptor (displacement by GTP analogues and the NK-1 specific antagonist CP-96,345) on human umbilical arterial, but not venous, endothelium. In culture, human umbilical venous endothelial cells (HUVECs) and human aortic endothelial cells express low levels of available SP binding sites. However, HUVECs, which are serum starved and refed, undergo a dramatic increase in SP binding. SP binding to starved/refed HUVECs induces a transient increase in intracellular calcium. This calcium flux is dose dependent over appropriate SP concentrations and can be blocked by NK-1 specific antagonists. The proinflammatory effects of SP may be mediated in part through the NK-1 receptor on endothelium.     

Adherence properties of sickle erythrocytes in dynamic flow systems

Sickle (SS) erythrocytes have been demonstrated to be more adherent to cultured endothelial cells than normal (AA) erythrocytes when incubated under the static conditions of the culture dish. We studied the adherence of erythrocytes to vascular endothelium under various conditions of controlled perfusion to determine whether the increased adherence of SS erythrocytes has pathophysiologic relevance to the development of vaso-occlusive crises. Freshly procured human umbilical veins were perfused once with chromium 51-labeled washed erythrocytes at a flow rate of 1 ml/min under ambient oxygen tension. After a 10-minute washout procedure, there was no significant difference in the adherence of either SS or AA cells (0.53% vs. 0.54%) to undamaged endothelium. Continuous closed-loop perfusion of labeled cells for 20 minutes also showed minimal adherence for both cell types. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed that adherence was sparse and focal. Endothelial cells were then cultured in fibronectin-coated glass capillary tubes, which served as conduits for perfused erythrocytes. Again, adherence was minimal and not significantly different for SS or AA cells (0.057% vs. 0.065%). To introduce hemodynamic variables into the system, erythrocytes were perfused into fibronectin- and endothelial cell-coated capillary tubes constructed to have multiple bends. Scanning electron microscopy showed that SS erythrocytes were significantly more adherent than AA cells in these convoluted tubes. Our findings support the notion that SS erythrocytes become trapped in the microcirculation because of a complex combination of hemodynamic forces and plasma factors as well as red cell membrane peculiarities, rather than the simple propensity of these cells to adhere to the vascular endothelium.