208. Exposing necrotic trophoblasts to endothelial cells in vitro causes increased adhesion of monocytes

2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. 79
Author(s):  
Q. Chen ◽  
P. Stone ◽  
L. McCowan ◽  
L. Chamley
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Endothelial Cell ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Uv Light ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Maternal Blood ◽  
U937 Cells ◽  
Endothelial Cell Activation ◽  
Maternal Circulation

A number of studies suggest that there is a generalized endothelial cell activation and inflammatory response in preeclampsia, which may be caused by factors released from the placenta including deported trophoblasts. Trophoblasts are the placental cells that are bathed in maternal blood during pregnancy and as they become aged or damaged trophoblasts are shed from the placenta and deported into the maternal circulation. The fate of deported trophoblasts is unknown but we have found that endothelial cells can phagocytose dead trophoblasts. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of phagocytosing dead trophoblasts on endothelial cell–monocyte interactions. Methods: The trophoblast-derived cell lines Jar and Jeg-3 were induced to undergo necrotic death by freeze/thawing or apoptotic death by exposure to UV light. HMEC-1 endothelial cells were labeled with green fluorescent cell tracker stain and then exposed to necrotic or apoptotic trophoblasts for 3 or 24 h. U937 (monocyte) cells were labeled with red fluorescent stain and incubated with the HMEC-1 monolayers for 3 or 24 h. The adhesion of the U937 cells to the HMEC-1 monolayers was quantified by flow cytometry and compared to the adhesion of U937 cells to untreated HMEC-1 monolayers. Results: Exposing the HMEC-1 cells to necrotic, but not apoptotic, trophoblasts induced an approximately two-fold increase in the adhesion of U937 cells to the HMEC-1 monolayers (P = 0.01). The findings were consistent regardless of whether the HEMC-1 cells were exposed to the dead trophoblasts for 3 or 24 h. Conclusions: We have previously shown that endothelial cells phagocytose both apoptotic and necrotic trophoblasts. The results of the current study suggest that shedding necrotic trophoblasts from the placenta could induce endothelial cells to become activated resulting in increased leucocyte adhesion. Thus, dead trophoblasts may be one of the factors released from the placenta that induce preeclampsia.

432. How do antiphospholipid antibodies contribute to preeclampsia?

2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (9) ◽  
pp. 112
Author(s):  
Q. Chen ◽  
C. Viall ◽  
P. R. Stone ◽  
L. W. Chamley
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cell ◽  
Antiphospholipid Antibodies ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
First Trimester ◽  
Endothelial Activation ◽  
Maternal Blood ◽  
Endothelial Cell Activation

Preeclampsia is characterised by elevated maternal blood pressure which is preceded by endothelial activation. The cause of this endothelial cell dysfunction is unclear but it appears to be triggered by a placental factor. One of the risk factors for developing preeclampsia is the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) in the maternal blood but exactly how aPL predispose women to developing preeclampsia is unclear. A second feature known to be associated with preeclampsia is excessive shedding and deportation of dead trophoblasts. We have previously shown that shed trophoblasts are phagocytosed by endothelial cells and that phagocytosis of necrotic trophoblasts leads to endothelial cell activation1. In this study we examined the hypothesis that aPL alter the number or nature of trophoblasts shed from the placenta resulting in endothelial cell activation. Using our published model of trophoblast shedding 2 human first trimester placental explants were treated with monoclonal aPL, IIC5 or ID2, or control antibody CD45 for 72 h. Shed trophoblasts then were harvested and counted using a Cellometer AutoT4 automated cell counter. The activity of caspases 3&7 was analysed in all treated shed trophoblasts using a FLICA™ kit. The treated shed trophoblasts also were exposed to the endothelial cell line HMEC-1 for 24 h. The level of ICAM-1 by HMEC-1 was determined by cell-based ELISA. The number of trophoblasts shed from placental explants was increased 2 fold following aPL treatment whereas, treatment with CD45 resulted in only a 1.3 fold increase in shedding. Trophoblasts shed from aPL-treated explants contained less active caspases 3 & 7 compared with control shed trophoblasts. Moreover, phagocytosis of trophoblasts shed from aPL-treated explants induced significantly increased expression of ICAM-1 compared with controls. aPL treatment affected the number and nature of trophoblasts shed from placentae in such a way that phagocytosing endothelium become activated. These findings suggest that aPL treatment may have shifted the type of cell death that shed trophoblasts are undergoing from apoptosis to a more necrotic or aponecrotic mechanism. This type of shedding of trophoblasts in vivo might contribute to the endothelial cell activation which is a hallmark feature of preeclampsia. (1) Chen Q, Stone PR, McCowan LM et al. Phagocytosis of necrotic but not apoptotic trophoblasts induces endothelial cell activation. Hypertension. 2006;47:116–121. (2) Abumaree MH, Stone PR, Chamley LW. An in vitro model of human placental trophoblast deportation/shedding. Mol Hum Reprod. 2006;12:687–694.

scholarly journals Dengue Virus Induces the Expression and Release of Endocan from Endothelial Cells by an NS1–TLR4-Dependent Mechanism

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1305
Author(s):  
Carlos Alonso Domínguez-Alemán ◽  
Luis Alberto Sánchez-Vargas ◽  
Karina Guadalupe Hernández-Flores ◽  
Andrea Isabel Torres-Zugaide ◽  
Arturo Reyes-Sandoval ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cell ◽  
Mrna Expression ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Dengue Infection ◽  
Elevated Serum ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Endothelial Cell Activation ◽  
Stimulation Of

A common hallmark of dengue infections is the dysfunction of the vascular endothelium induced by different biological mechanisms. In this paper, we studied the role of recombinant NS1 proteins representing the four dengue serotypes, and their role in promoting the expression and release of endocan, which is a highly specific biomarker of endothelial cell activation. We evaluated mRNA expression and the levels of endocan protein in vitro following the stimulation of HUVEC and HMEC-1 cell lines with recombinant NS1 proteins. NS1 proteins increase endocan mRNA expression 48 h post-activation in both endothelial cell lines. Endocan mRNA expression levels were higher in HUVEC and HMEC-1 cells stimulated with NS1 proteins than in non-stimulated cells (p < 0.05). A two-fold to three-fold increase in endocan protein release was observed after the stimulation of HUVECs or HMEC-1 cells with NS1 proteins compared with that in non-stimulated cells (p < 0.05). The blockade of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) signaling on HMEC-1 cells with an antagonistic antibody prevented NS1-dependent endocan production. Dengue-infected patients showed elevated serum endocan levels (≥30 ng/mL) during early dengue infection. High endocan serum levels were associated with laboratory abnormalities, such as lymphopenia and thrombocytopenia, and are associated with the presence of NS1 in the serum.

Role of Connective Tissue Growth Factor In Endothelin-Mediated Endothelial Cell Activation

Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (21) ◽  
pp. 2107-2107
Author(s):  
Anna J Hernandez ◽  
Sonia Henriquez ◽  
Enrique R Maldonado ◽  
Rodeler Youte ◽  
Gregory N Prado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Growth Factors ◽  
Endothelial Cell ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Connective Tissue ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Tissue Growth ◽  
Vegf Expression ◽  
Endothelial Cell Activation

Abstract Abstract 2107 Endothelial cell activation and elevated levels of circulating Endothelin-1 (ET-1) have been reported in patients with atherosclerosis and sickle cell disease (SCD). ET-1 is a well-described vasoconstrictor, mitogen and regulator of endothelial cells migration that has been shown to promote structural changes in blood vessels. ET-1 is produced in response to increases in vasoactive hormones, growth factors, hypoxia, shear stress and free radicals, events that are commonly observed in patients with SCD. Endothelial cell activation is in part characterized by increases of cytokines such as monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) and growth factors that are important in vascular maintenance and fibrogenesis such as connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). CTGF and VEGF are important for blood vessel remodeling, fibrogenesis and angiogenesis. Indeed there is evidence that incubation of smooth muscle cells with ET-1 leads to increases in CTGF and VEGF levels. However, the relationship between ET-1 and CTGF in endothelial cell activation is unclear. We hypothesize that increasing ET-1 would stimulate CTGF production and endothelial cell activation. We studied the effects of ET-1 on the human endothelial cell line, EA.hy926 (EA), as well as in primary cultures of mouse aortic endothelial cells (MAEC). We performed gene expression time course experiments (0, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24 Hr) on EA cells following incubation with 100nM ET-1 using quantitative RT-PCR with Taqman chemistries and GAPDH and beta-actin as endogenous controls. We observed increases of CTGF and VEGF expression between 4 and 8 hr for CTGF (1.74 fold increase vs time 0, n=6, P<0.03) and 4 hr for VEGF (2.14 fold increase vs time 0, n=3, P<0.04). Additional experiments on EA cells showed that incubation with 100nM ET-1 for 4 hr in the presence of BQ123 and BQ788, two inhibitors of ET-1 type A and B receptors, respectively, blocked the ET-1 stimulated rises in CTGF and VEGF as well as MCP-1 expression. We then performed western blot analyses (Abcam-CTGF antibody ab6992; Abcam VEGF antibody ab1316) and showed increases in cell associated CTGF protein levels following incubation of EA cells with 100nM ET-1 for 24 hr. The ET-1 stimulated rise in CTGF levels were significantly blunted by pre-incubation of EA cells with both BQ788 and BQ123. To study whether the effects of ET-1 were unique to EA cells, we also analyzed the effects of ET-1 on early cultures of MAEC isolated from C57BLJ mice. Consistent with our observations in human endothelial cells, incubation of MAEC with 100nM ET-1 for 4 hr were associated with increases of CTGF and VEGF expression (1.86 fold vs vehicle, n=3, P<0.03; 1.73 fold vs vehicle, n=3 P<0.04 respectively). Furthermore, ET-1 stimulated rises in CTGF and VEGF expressions were likewise blocked by pre-incubation with BQ123 andBQ788. We conclude that addition of ET-1 leads to activation of endothelial cells and increases in CTGF and VEGF from human and mouse endothelial cells. Thus we suggest that therapies designed to block ET-1 receptors will reduce endothelial cell activation in part by reducing CTGF production leading to alterations in cellular and tissue architecture. This work was supported by NIH R01HL090632 to AR and R01HL096518 to JRR. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

scholarly journals A novel flow cytometry-based quantitative monocyte adhesion assay to estimate endothelial cell activation in vitro

BioTechniques ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 68 (6) ◽  
pp. 325-333
Author(s):  
Vinnyfred Vincent ◽  
Himani Thakkar ◽  
Anjali Verma ◽  
Atanu Sen ◽  
Nikhil Chandran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Cytometry ◽  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Endothelial Cell ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Endothelial Activation ◽  
Adhesion Assay ◽  
Monocyte Adhesion ◽  
Endothelial Cell Activation ◽  
Functional Level

One of the earliest events in the development of atherosclerosis is endothelial activation, which is estimated in vitro at the functional level by quantifying monocyte adhesion. This involves the incubation of fluorescently labeled monocytes on top of cultured endothelial cells and quantifying the number of adhered monocytes. Currently, the quantification of adhered monocytes is done using microscopy or by lysing the cells and estimating the fluorescence. Here we present a novel flow cytometry-based method for the quantification of monocyte adhesion. This method could quantify the average number of monocytes adhered to a single endothelial cell after monocyte adhesion assay, and was also sensitive to the level of activation of endothelial cells. Flow cytometry-based quantification requires less time and effort compared with microscopy-based quantification.

scholarly journals Prevention of Heme-Induced Human Endothelial Cell Activation By Hemopexin in Vitro

Blood ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 136 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 8-8
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Adam ◽  
Thomas Gentinetta ◽  
Svetlana Diditchenko ◽  
Alexander Schaub ◽  
Gregory J Kato ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Cytometry ◽  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Endothelial Cell ◽  
Sickle Cell Disease ◽  
Blood Cells ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Cell Disease ◽  
Endothelial Cell Activation ◽  
Free Heme

Hemoglobin (Hb) is one of the most abundant proteins in the human body. When red blood cells rupture, cell-free Hb may initiate adverse pathophysiological reactions. Pathophysiology triggered by cell-free Hb plays an important role in modifying the phenotype of sickle cell disease (SCD). SCD is caused by a single nucleotide mutation of the β-globin gene resulting in Hemoglobin-S (HbS) instead of the normal HbA found in healthy individuals. Polymerization of HbS shortens the lifespan of sickle red blood cells and promotes intra- and extravascular hemolysis. In cell-free Hb ferrous Hb (Fe2+) is oxidized into ferric Hb (Fe3+) promoting the dissociation and transfer of heme into lipid compartments where it triggers lipid peroxidation and generation of cytotoxic and pro-inflammatory reaction products. These processes promote endothelial cell activation and damage. The endogenous plasma protein hemopexin exhibits the highest binding affinity for heme and binds heme in a 1:1 binding ratio. Heme bound to hemopexin is rendered relatively non-reactive and is delivered safely to hepatocytes for endocytosis and degradation. To investigate the endothelial-protective function of hemopexin based on its ability to scavenge heme, we exposed human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in vitro to heme(NaOH) in the presence or absence of different hemopexin doses. As a read-out, different markers for endothelial cell activation were analyzed by either flow cytometry or multiplexed particle-based flow cytometry (Luminex). Briefly, confluent HUVEC were preincubated with hemopexin at different concentrations for 5 min before stimulation with heme(NaOH) for 25 min. Following stimulation cells were analyzed by flow cytometry for expression of membrane bound P-Selectin, a robust marker of endothelial cell activation. Alternatively, heme(NaOH) stimulation of hemopexin-preincubated HUVEC was conducted for 16 h and cell culture supernatants were analyzed by Luminex for three additional well-characterized plasma markers of endothelial cell activation: pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-8, cell adhesion molecule VCAM-1 and glycoprotein Von Willebrand factor (vWF). In the absence of hemopexin, heme(NaOH) consistently induced robust cell surface expression of P-Selectin and elevated levels of soluble IL-8, VCAM-1 and vWF. However, hemopexin completely blocked the stimulatory potential of heme as HUVEC exposed to pre-formed heme:hemopexin complexes showed unchanged P-Selectin expression levels compared to negative control samples. We found that hemopexin reduced heme(NaOH)-mediated P-selectin expression on HUVEC in a dose-dependent fashion. Once an equimolar ratio between heme and hemopexin was reached, P-selectin expression was abolished as shown in figure 1. In addition to P-Selectin, hemopexin also had a strong effect to reduce the heme-induced expression of IL-8, VCAM-1 and vWF to background levels. Thus, the presented data underlines on the one hand the stimulatory capacity of heme(NaOH) on endothelial cells and demonstrates on the other hand the potential of hemopexin to efficiently neutralize free heme. In a stoichiometric fashion, hemopexin potently prevents the pro-inflammatory effect of heme on endothelial cells. Hence, our study suggests a protective role of hemopexin for endothelial cells exposed to elevated levels of cell-free heme due to intravascular hemolysis. Additional experiments are required to elucidate the effect of hemopexin on the endothelium in more detail. Combined with our other lines of data, our results further support the investigation of hemopexin as a potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of sickle cell disease. Disclosures Adam: CSL Behring AG: Current Employment. Gentinetta:CSL Behring: Current Employment. Diditchenko:CSL Behring AG: Current Employment. Schaub:CSL Behring AG: Current Employment. Kato:CSL Behring AG: Current Employment. Brinkman:CSL Behring: Current Employment. Zuercher:CSL Behring AG: Current Employment.

106. IL-6 INCREASES THE SHEDDING OF NECROTIC TROPHOBLASTS FROM PLACENTAL EXPLANTS

2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (9) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
Q. Chen ◽  
L. Chen ◽  
B. Liu ◽  
H. Zhao ◽  
P. R. Stone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Endothelial Cell ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Elevated Serum ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Endothelial Activation ◽  
Maternal Blood ◽  
Endothelial Cell Activation ◽  
Cell Monolayers ◽  
Cell Dysfunction

Preeclampsia (PE) is characterised by elevated maternal blood pressure, preceded by endothelial cell dysfunction. Dead trophoblasts, shed from the placenta may be one of the factors that trigger PE. Women with PE frequently have elevated serum levels of inflammatory markers such as, IL-6 and TNF a but their functional significance is unclear. In this study we investigated whether these or other cytokines can alter trophoblast shedding from placental explants. Placental explants were treated with 9 different cytokines for 72 hours. Shed trophoblasts then were harvested using our published method1. The numbers of trophoblasts shed were quantified by automated cell counter. Expression of active of caspases 3&7 by the shed trophoblasts was determined using a FLICA kit. The trophoblasts shed from cytokine-treated or control explants were exposed to endothelial cell monolayers and endothelial activation determined by ELISA for cell surface ICAM-1. Treatment of explants with IL-6 caused a 50% increase (p=0.001), while TNF a and TGF b 1, caused smaller significant increases in the numbers of trophoblasts shed. Trophoblasts shed from explants treated with IL-6, TGF b 1, or TGF b 3 expressed significantly less active caspases 3&7 than controls or trophoblasts shed from explants treated with other cytokines. Exposing trophoblasts shed from IL-6- or TGF b 1-treated explants to endothelial cells caused a significant (P<0.001) increase in endothelial activation. Normally trophoblasts shed from the placenta die by an apoptosis-like process and their phagocytosis by endothelial cells is silent but a shift to shedding of necrotic trophoblasts can lead to endothelial cell activation 2. However, it remains unclear what might trigger a shift from apoptotic to necrotic trophoblast death. This study suggests that IL-6 and possibly other cytokines can alter both the number and the nature of shed trophoblasts such that the trophoblast are more necrotic and their phagocytosis by maternal endothelial cells could contribute to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.

scholarly journals Functional interactions of T cells with endothelial cells: the role of CD40L-CD40-mediated signals.

1995 ◽  
Vol 182 (6) ◽  
pp. 1857-1864 ◽  
Author(s):  
M J Yellin ◽  
J Brett ◽  
D Baum ◽  
A Matsushima ◽  
M Szabolcs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Endothelial Cell ◽  
Cell Surface ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Endothelial Cell Activation ◽  
Cd40 Expression

CD40 is expressed on a variety of cells, including B cells, monocytes, dendritic cells, and fibroblasts. CD40 interacts with CD40L, a 30-33-kD activation-induced CD4+ T cell surface molecule. CD40L-CD40 interactions are known to play key roles in B cell activation and differentiation in vitro and in vivo. We now report that normal human endothelial cells also express CD40 in situ, and CD40L-CD40 interactions induce endothelial cell activation in vitro. Frozen sections from normal spleen, thyroid, skin, muscle, kidney, lung, or umbilical cord were studied for CD40 expression by immunohistochemistry. Endothelial cells from all tissues studied express CD40 in situ. Moreover, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) express CD40 in vitro, and recombinant interferon gamma induces HUVEC CD40 upregulation. CD40 expression on HUVEC is functionally significant because CD40L+ Jurkat T cells or CD40L+ 293 kidney cell transfectants, but not control cells, upregulate HUVEC CD54 (intercellular adhesion molecule-1), CD62E (E-selectin), and CD106 (vascular cell adhesion molecule-1) expression in vitro. Moreover, the kinetics of CD40L-, interleukin 1-, or tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced CD54, CD62E, and CD106 upregulation on HUVEC are similar. Finally, CD40L-CD40 interactions do not induce CD80, CD86, or major histocompatibility complex class II expression on HUVEC in vitro. These results demonstrate that CD40L-CD40 interactions induce endothelial cell activation in vitro. Moreover, they suggest a mechanism by which activated CD4+ T cells may augment inflammatory responses in vivo by upregulating the expression of endothelial cell surface adhesion molecules.

scholarly journals Up-regulation of CD81 inhibits cytotrophoblast invasion and mediates maternal endothelial cell dysfunction in preeclampsia

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (8) ◽  
pp. 1940-1945 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Shen ◽  
Zhenyu Diao ◽  
Hai-Xiang Sun ◽  
Gui-Jun Yan ◽  
Zhiqun Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Endothelial Cell ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Umbilical Vein ◽  
Normal Pregnancy ◽  
Uterine Wall ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Endothelial Cell Activation ◽  
Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells

Preeclampsia (PE) is initiated by abnormal placentation in the early stages of pregnancy, followed by systemic activation of endothelial cells of the maternal small arterioles in the late second or third trimester (TM) of pregnancy. During normal pregnancy, placental cytotrophoblasts (CTBs) invade the maternal uterine wall and spiral arteries, whereas this process is interrupted in PE. However, it is not known how the malformed placenta triggers maternal endothelial crisis and the associated manifestations. Here, we have focused on the association of CD81 with PE. CD81, a member of the tetraspanin superfamily, plays significant roles in cell growth, adhesion, and motility. The function of CD81 in human placentation and its association with pregnancy complications are currently unknown. In the present study, we have demonstrated that CD81 was preferentially expressed in normal first TM placentas and progressively down-regulated with gestation advance. In patients with early-onset severe PE (sPE), CD81 expression was significantly up-regulated in syncytiotrophoblasts (STBs), CTBs and the cells in the villous core. In addition, high levels of CD81 were observed in the maternal sera of patients with sPE. Overexpressing CD81 in CTBs significantly decreased CTB invasion, and culturing primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in the presence of a high dose of exogenous CD81 resulted in interrupted angiogenesis and endothelial cell activation in vitro. Importantly, the phenotype of human PE was mimicked in the CD81-induced rat model.

Endothelin-1 Stimulates Connective Tissue Growth Factor Expression by Endothelial Cells,

Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 118 (21) ◽  
pp. 3265-3265
Author(s):  
Iren M Ortiz ◽  
Gregory N Prado ◽  
Sonia E Henriquez ◽  
Carlos E Vazquez ◽  
Giselle Brito ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Growth Factors ◽  
Endothelial Cell ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Connective Tissue ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Tissue Growth ◽  
Endothelial Cell Activation ◽  
Endothelin 1

Abstract Abstract 3265 An important role for Endothelin-1 (ET-1) has been proposed in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). We, and others, have reported that endothelin-1 (ET-1) receptor antagonists in vivo ameliorate numerous complications observed in sickle transgenic mice through mechanisms that remain unclear. ET-1 is a vasoconstrictor and important regulator of endothelial cells migration that promotes structural changes in blood vessels in response to increases in vasoactive hormones, growth factors, hypoxia, shear stress and free radicals; events commonly observed in patients with SCD. Endothelial cell activation is characterized in part by increases of cytokines and growth factors that are important in vascular maintenance and fibrogenesis such as connective tissue growth factor (CTGF). CTGF plays a role in blood vessel remodeling and fibrogenesis. Indeed, there is in vitro evidence that ET-1 stimulates the production of CTGF in smooth muscle cells. We hypothesized that increasing ET-1 would stimulate CTGF production and lead to endothelial cell activation. We studied the effects of ET-1 on the human endothelial cell line, EA.hy926 (EA), as well as in primary cultures of mouse aortic endothelial cells (MAEC). We analyzed the effects ET-1 on cytosolic Ca2+ levels by spectrofluorimetry of FURA-2AM loaded EA cells and noted that, as observed in fibroblasts, incubation with 10−8 M ET-1 led to increases in cytosolic Ca2+ levels that were blocked by pre-incubation with the ET-1 receptor B antagonist, BQ-788. We performed CTGF gene expression time course experiments (0, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24 Hr) on EA cells following incubation with 100 nM ET-1 using quantitative RT-PCR with TaqMan detection probes and GAPDH and beta-actin as endogenous controls. We observed increases of CTGF and VEGF expression between 4 and 8 hr for CTGF (1.74 fold increase vs time 0, n=6, P<0.03) and 4 hr for VEGF (2.14 fold increase vs time 0, n=3, P<0.04). Additional experiments on EA cells showed that incubation with 100 nM ET-1 for 4 hr in the presence of BQ123 and BQ788, two inhibitors of ET-1 type A and B receptors, respectively, blocked the ET-1 stimulated rises in CTGF and VEGF mRNA expression. We then performed western blot analyses and showed increases in cell-associated CTGF protein levels following incubation of EA cells with 10 nM ET-1 for 24 hr that were blocked by both BQ123 and BQ788. We then studied the effect of ET-1 on CTGF production in cell supernatants at various dose and time points by sandwich ELISA immunoassay. We observed increased levels of CTGF in cellular supernatants after 48 h of exposure that peaked at 10 nM ET-1 as compared to 24 h, 12 h and vehicle treated cells (P<0.001). To study whether the effects of ET-1 were unique to EA cells, we also analyzed the effects of ET-1 on early cultures of MAEC. Consistent with our observations in human EA cells, incubation of MAEC with 100 nM ET-1 for 4 hr was associated with increases of CTGF (1.86 fold vs vehicle, n=3, P<0.03) and was blocked by pre-incubation with BQ123 and BQ788. As CTGF has been shown to be chemotactic as well, we studied the effect of supernatants isolated from EA cells following stimulation with 10 nM ET-1 for 48 hrs on ex vivo human mononuclear cells (MNC) isolated from otherwise healthy subjects. We determined MNC transmigration by Cyquant fluorescence and observed enhanced migration of cells exposed to supernatants from ET-1-stimulated cells when compared to vehicle treatment that was significantly blunted by BQ123 and BQ788 pre-incubation. Further western blot analyses of the MNC that migrated following incubation with ET-1-stimulated supernatants showed the presence of CTGF in the MNC that otherwise do not express CTGF. Thus, we conclude that ET-1 leads to activation of endothelial cells and increases in CTGF from endothelial cells and suggest that therapies designed to block ET-1 receptors will also reduce endothelial cell activation in part by reducing CTGF production leading to alterations in cellular and tissue architecture. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Striatin Is a Novel Regulator Of Aldosterone-Mediated Endothelial Cell Activation

Blood ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 122 (21) ◽  
pp. 3523-3523 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrique D. Machado-Fiallo ◽  
Christopher Vega ◽  
Arelys Ramos-Rivera ◽  
Josue A. Benabe-Carlo ◽  
Gregory N. Prado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Endothelial Cell ◽  
Knockout Mice ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Ros Production ◽  
Endothelial Cell Activation ◽  
Caveolin 1

Abstract Activation of the minerolocorticoid receptor (MR) by aldosterone (ALDO) has been shown to play an important role in inflammatory vascular responses in addition to its well described effects on sodium homeostasis. Steroid responses are mediated by well-known genomic and less known rapid/nongenomic responses. However, characterization of the mechanisms underlying ALDO’s rapid/nongenomic actions have been difficult to study and are not clearly understood. We recently reported that in vivo and in vitro activation of MR leads to increases of striatin levels in endothelial cells, aortas and heart tissue (Pojoga, Amer J Hypertens, 2012) and that MR forms a complex with caveolin-1 and striatin within caveolae in endothelial cells. We hypothesized that striatin is a critical intermediary of the rapid effects of ALDO and that striatin serves as a novel link for MR regulation in endothelial cells activation. Endothelial cell activation promotes, among other factors, increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), a redox modifying enzyme that catalyze disulfide interchange reactions. We studied EA.hy926 cells (EA), a human endothelial cell line that expresses MR, striatin and maintains its caveolae while in culture. We incubated EA cells with ALDO (10–9–10–7M) for 60 min and observed a dose-dependent rise in ROS production (P<0.001, n=4) using the oxidative fluorescent indicator dye 5-6-chloromethyl-2ʼ,7ʼ-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (CM-H2DCFDA) that peaked at around 10-8M ALDO, an event that was blocked by pre-incubation of EA cells for 30 mins with 1μM canrenoic acid (CA), an MR antagonist (P<0.03, n=3). Time course analyses showed ALDO stimulated ROS responses that increased for up to 3 hours following the addition of ALDO. As there are no known inhibitors for striatin we then used siRNA technology to down regulate striatin in these cells. EA cells were transfected with striatin siRNA and subsequently stimulated with ALDO and ROS production measured. The transfection process itself did not modify baseline levels of ROS significantly, as assessed in cells transfected with scrambled siRNA and non-transfected cells, which had nearly identical ROS levels, basally and in response to ALDO. In addition, in the presence of lower levels of striatin protein the ALDO-stimulated ROS response was abrogated, supporting the concept that striatin is necessary for the rapid effects of ALDO. We also measured phosphorylated ERK-1/2 (pERK) levels that peaked within 10 minutes in EA as estimated by western blot analyses. Consistent with these observations pre-incubation of EA cells with 10-6M PD0325901, a selective MEK-1/2 inhibitor was associated with greater than 90% reduction of the ALDO-stimulated ROS responses (7244.3±497 vs 4386.6±586 RFU, P<0.02, n=3). Qualitatively similar responses were observed using another MEK inhibitor, U0126 [10-5M] (P<0.01, n=3). We then tested the effects of ALDO on PDI secretion. Incubation of EA cells with ALDO (10-7M) led to PDI increases when compared to vehicle treated cells (P<0.01, n=3). We also tested the effects of low levels of striatin using siRNA on PDI activity in EA cells. We found that PDI secretion was reduced by 62% in striatin knockdown conditions. We then tested the effects of Methyl-β-cyclodextrin to disrupt caveolae in these cells and observed a blunted 10nM ALDO–stimulated PDI response (530±117 to 215±99 RFU/mg protein, n=3, P<0.01). We then isolated early cultures of mouse aortic endothelial cells (MAEC) from endothelial-specific caveolin-1 knockout mice and measured PDI activity following 24 hrs of incubation in 0.4% fetal bovine serum. Our results show that MAEC from caveolin-1 knockout mice had lower PDI secretion when compared to cells from WT mice (99.4±16 vs 129.9±35, n=5, P<0.03). These results suggest that striatin is a novel mediator for ALDO’s rapid effects on PDI and ROS, thereby suggesting a unique level of interaction between the MR and striatin in endothelial cell activation. Supported by NIH R01HL090632 (AR), R01HL104032 (LHP) and R01HL096518 (JRR). Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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