Cyclic AMP potentiates phorbol ester stimulation of tissue plasminogen activator release and inhibits secretion of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 from human endothelial cells

We have examined the effect of phorbol esters and cAMP elevating compounds on tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) secretion. Phorbol esters induce a time- and dose-dependent increase in tPA release from endothelial cells, while forskolin, isobutylmethylxanthine, dibutyryl cAMP, and 8-bromo-cAMP had no significant stimulatory effect on tPA secretion. However, elevation of cAMP simultaneously with phorbol ester treatment potentiated the phorbol ester-induced release of tPA 6 times from 22.2 ng/ml with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) alone to 122.1 ng/ml (PMA and forskolin). Potentiation was dose-dependent (half-maximal potentiation = 4 microM forskolin), and tPA release was enhanced at all stimulatory concentrations of PMA with no change in the PMA concentrations causing half-maximal or maximum tPA release. The kinetics of release was also similar in PMA versus PMA-forskolin-treated cells. A 4-h delay was observed, enhanced release was transient, and was followed by the onset of a refractory period. In contrast, elevation of cAMP reduced constitutive secretion of PAI-1 by 30-40% and prevented the increase in PAI-1 secretion stimulated by PMA. Elevated cAMP also decreased the rate of PAI-1 deposition into the endothelial substratum. These studies indicate that activation of a cAMP-dependent pathway(s) in coordination with phorbol ester-induced responses plays a central role in modifying the tPA and PAI-1 secretion from endothelial cells, leading to a profibrinolytic state in the endothelial environment.     

Human endometrial endothelial cells: isolation, characterization, and inflammatory-mediated expression of tissue factor and type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor

Binding of Ulex europaeus lectin to microvessels was used to isolate endothelial cells from cycling human endometrium. Cultured human endometrial endothelial cells (HEECs) exhibited endothelial cell-specific characteristics such as tube formation on a basement membrane matrix and sequestration of acetylated low-density lipoprotein. Markers for potentially contaminating epithelial, stromal, smooth muscle, and bone marrow-derived cells were not detected in the HEEC cultures. Basal and proinflammatory-stimulated immunostaining profiles for endothelial cell-specific adhesion markers, as exemplified by Von Willebrand's factor and E-selectin, were similar for cultured HEECs and human umbilical venous cord endothelial cells (HUVECs). However, HUVECs expressed several extracellular matrix proteins that were absent from cultured HEECs. In the latter, the protein kinase C agonist phorbol myristate acetate transiently enhanced tissue factor (TF) mRNA levels and elicited a more prolonged elevation in TF protein levels, but did not affect plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) mRNA and protein levels. Inappropriate expression of TF, which initiates hemostasis by generating thrombin, and of PAI-1, which regulates hemostasis by acting as the primary inhibitor of fibrinolysis, can each lead to thrombosis. The differential regulation of TF and PAI-1 expression revealed in the current study emphasizes the importance of using HEECs to evaluate mechanisms regulating the hemostatic/thrombotic balance in human endometrium.     

Matrix-bound plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 inhibits the invasion of human monocytes into interstitial tissue.

Invasion of tissue by monocytes in the course of cellular immune reactions is a multistep process that is thought to be based on the action of urokinase type plasminogen activator (u-PA), an ubiquitous serine protease able to convert the zymogen plasminogen into the active protease plasmin. Expression and occupation of urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptors (u-PA-R) are known to be up-regulated by IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha, and endogenously occupied u-PA-R were found to be instrumental in monocyte invasiveness. We used the amnion invasion assay to investigate whether monocyte invasiveness is affected by matrix-bound plasminogen activator inhibitors (PAI) and by fluid phase u-PA. We show in this study that preincubation of amnion membranes with 1.5 U/cm2 PAI-1 decreases invasion of IFN-gamma activated monocytes by 70% compared with controls. Anti-vitronectin antibodies, which block PAI-1 binding to the matrix, abrogate the inhibitory effect of PAI-1 on monocyte invasiveness, indicating that active PAI-1 is bound via matrix-associated vitronectin. In contrast, preincubation of the amnion membrane with PAI-2 which does not bind to the extracellular matrix has no effect on monocyte invasiveness. Finally, the inhibitory action of matrix-bound PAI-1 can be abrogated by addition of 5 IU/ml u-PA to the monocytes in the invasion chamber. These findings indicate that monocyte invasiveness might be regulated not only by expression and occupation of u-PA-R but also by matrix-bound PAI-1.     

Regulation of endothelial tissue plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 synthesis by diacylglycerol, phorbol ester, and thrombin

The influence of diacylglycerols, which are physiological activators of protein kinase C, on the production of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) by human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) was studied in order to gain insight into the regulation of fibrinolysis by these cells. 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol (diC8) stimulated tPA production in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The tPA antigen in cell supernatants increased from 0.9 ng/10(6) cells in unstimulated cells to 12.4 ng (10(6) cells after incubation with 400 microM diC8 for 24 hours. In contrast, PAI-1 production was not influenced by diC8, whereas phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or thrombin stimulated both, tPA and PAI-1 production by HUVEC. Staurosporine and H7, which are inhibitors of protein kinase C, inhibited tPA synthesis by HUVEC. The degree of inhibition was dependent on the agonist used. While diC8-induced tPA production was inhibited to more than 80% by H7 (10 microM) and staurosporine (10 nM), higher doses of inhibitors were required to inhibit thrombin- and PMA-induced tPA production. Thrombin-induced PAI-1 production was inhibited to more than 80% by H7 (10 microM) and to about 50% by staurosporine, whereas PMA-induced PAI-1 production was not inhibited by staurosporine, and only to about 50% by higher doses of H7 (30 microM). These data suggest that activation of protein kinase C is a common intracellular trigger mechanism for the induction of tPA synthesis by HUVEC. Protein kinase C is most likely also involved in the regulation of PAI-1 synthesis by HUVEC.     

Expression of hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor type 1 in endothelial cells

Hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor type 1 (HAI-1) is an integral membrane Kunitz-type serine proteinase inhibitor initially identified as a potent inhibitor of hepatocyte growth factor activator (HGFA). HGFA is a serum proteinase that is critically involved in the activation of hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) in injured tissue. Previous studies have shown that HAI-1 is expressed on the basolateral surface of various epithelial cells. In this study, we analyzed the expression of HAI-1 in human endothelial cells. Immunohistochemically, HAI-1 protein was observed in the endothelial cells of capillaries, venules and lymph vessels. On the other hand, arterial endothelial cells were poorly stained for HAI-1. Mesothelial cells on the serous surface were also positively immunostained. The endothelial expression of HAI-1 was also examined in cultured human endothelial cells of various origins, such as umbilical vein, microvessels and aorta. Notably, in accordance with the results of immunohistochemistry, HAI-1 mRNA and protein levels were high in the endothelial cells derived from umbilical vein and were hardly detectable in those derived from aorta. A low but distinct level of HAI-1 expression was also observed in endothelial cells from microvessels. As these HAI-1-positive endothelial cells also expressed MET tyrosine kinase, the specific receptor of HGF/SF, it is conceivable that HAI-1 might have an important regulatory role in the HGF/SF-MET signaling axis of endothelial cells, which could be involved in the process of angiogenesis.     

Normal tissue plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor activity in plasma from patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

The fibrinolytic system was investigated in 38 patients (21 males and 17 females) affected by type 1 diabetes mellitus (18 free from complications, 10 with retinopathy, and 10 with autonomic neuropathy) and in 8 healthy controls. Two separate fibrinolysis-stimulating tests were done: standardized venous occlusion and 1-desamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin infusion. Plasma tissue plasminogen activator antigen and activity and plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor activity were measured. All the patients were in good metabolic control (mean HbA1c 7.4%, range 6.1-8.0%). No significant differences were observed either between the diabetic patients and the control subjects, nor among the subgroups of diabetic patients. The fibrinolytic system is probably not involved in type 1 diabetes mellitus.     

Stimulation and desensitization of tissue plasminogen activator release from human endothelial cells

Tumor-promoting phorbol esters and histamine induce tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) release from human endothelial cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and phorbol dibutyrate (PDBu) increased tPA concentration in the culture medium by eight to 12 times after 24 h with half-maximal stimulation at 13 and 55 nM, respectively. Maximum release by histamine was only half that of the phorbol esters and required 18 microM for half-maximal response. Kinetics of enhanced release was similar with both types of agonists: a 4-h lag period followed by a period of rapid release (4 h in PMA-treated and 10 h in histamine-treated cultures) followed by a decline toward pretreatment rates. The PMA and histamine effects were additive while histamine and thrombin, which also stimulates tPA release in human endothelial cells, were no more effective together than they were alone. Exposure of the cells to PMA, PDBu, or phorbol 12,13-didecanoate caused a loss of responsiveness to second treatment of the homologous agent that was time- and dose-dependent, sustained, and specific to active tumor promoters (half-maximal desensitization = 52 nM PDBu). A partial desensitized state was also established by histamine which resulted in a 60% lower response to a second challenge dose. Histamine-induced desensitization did not interfere with the PMA response. However, PMA-induced desensitization caused a 75% loss of the histamine and a 67% loss of the thrombin effects. These studies indicate that tumor promoters are potent agonists of tPA release from human endothelial cells and establish a desensitized state to further stimulation. Treatment of these cells with histamine has similar effects which may be mediated at least in part by pathways common to phorbol ester stimulation.     

Interaction of tissue-type plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 on the surface of endothelial cells

The site of the reaction between plasminogen activators and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) was investigated in cultures of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. In conditioned medium from endothelial cells, two forms of a plasminogen activator-specific inhibitor can be demonstrated: an active form that readily binds to and inhibits plasminogen activators and an immunologically related quiescent form which has no anti-activator activity but which can be activated by denaturation. In conditioned medium, only a few percent of PAI-1 is the active form. However, the addition of increasing concentrations of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) or urokinase to confluent endothelial cells produced a saturable (3.0 pmol/5 x 10(5) cells), dose-dependent increase of the activator-PAI-1 complex in the conditioned medium even in the presence of actinomycin D or cycloheximide. This resulted also in a dose-dependent decrease of the residual PAI activity measured by reverse fibrin autography both in the conditioned medium and cell extracts. Short-time exposure of endothelial cells to a large amount of t-PA caused almost complete depletion of all cell-associated PAI activity. Although there was no detectable PAI activity even after activation of PAI by denaturants or antigen in the culture medium at 4 degrees C without the addition of t-PA, the addition of t-PA at 4 degrees C not only resulted in the formation of 70% of the amount of the t-PA.PAI complex in conditioned medium at 37 degrees C, but also induced PAI-1 antigen in a time and dose-dependent manner in the conditioned medium. Moreover, 125I-labeled t-PA immobilized on Sepharose added directly to endothelial cells formed a complex with PAI-1 in a dose-dependent manner. On the other hand, no detectable complex was formed with PAI-1 when Sepharose-immobilized 125I-labeled t-PA was added to endothelial cells under conditions in which the added t-PA could not contact the cells directly but other proteins could pass freely by the use of a Transwell. All these results suggest that a "storage pool" on the surface of endothelial cells or the extracellular matrix produced by endothelial cells contains almost all the active PAI-1, and reaction between PA and PAI-1 mainly occurs on the endothelial cell membranes, resulting in a decrease of the conversion of active PAI-1 to the quiescent form.     

SPARC induces the expression of type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor in cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells.

SPARC, a Ca(2+)-binding glycoprotein that is expressed during tissue morphogenesis and functions as an inhibitor of cell spreading in vitro, was found to induce the secretion of an Mr = 45,000 protein in bovine aortic endothelial (BAE) cells. This protein was identified as type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) on Western blots with anti-PAI-1 antiserum. SPARC stimulated the secretion of PAI-1 protein into the medium of subconfluent BAE cells, but not confluent BAE cells, in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Secretion of PAI-1 into the culture medium was progressive and exhibited an increase of 3- to 7-fold over control values within 24 h after the addition of SPARC. Levels of PAI-1 mRNA were elevated 2-fold within 4 to 24 h after the addition of SPARC and did not increase with higher concentrations of SPARC. Since the induction of PAI-1 mRNA by SPARC was not blocked by cycloheximide, de novo protein synthesis was apparently not required for this stimulation. Control experiments showed that the induction of PAI-1 was not due to contamination of the SPARC preparations with endotoxin. These data demonstrate that SPARC induces the biosynthesis of PAI-1 in BAE cells and suggest a role for SPARC in the regulation of fibrinolysis and in the control of proteolytic events in remodeling tissues.     

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) induces plasminogen activators and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in microvascular endothelial cells.

Extracellular proteolysis is believed to be an essential component of the angiogenic process. The effects of VEGF, a recently described angiogenic factor, were assessed on PA activity and PA and PAI-1 mRNA levels in microvascular endothelial cells. u-PA and t-PA activity were increased by VEGF in a dose-dependent manner, with maximal induction at 30 ng/ml. u-PA and t-PA mRNAs were increased 7.5- and 8-fold respectively after 15 hours, and PAI-1 mRNA 4.5-fold after 4 hours exposure to VEGF. At equimolar concentrations (0.5 nM), VEGF was a more potent inducer of t-PA mRNA than bFGF, while bFGF was a more potent inducer of u-PA and PAI-1 mRNAs. In addition, VEGF induced u-PA and PAI-1 mRNAs with kinetics similar to those previously demonstrated for bFGF. These results demonstrate the regulation of PA and PAI-1 production by VEGF in microvascular endothelial cells and are in accord with the hypothesis that extracellular proteolysis, appropriately balanced by protease inhibitors, is required for normal capillary morphogenesis.     

Binding of type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor to the extracellular matrix of cultured bovine endothelial cells

The binding of type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) to the extracellular matrix (ECM) of cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells was investigated using purified 125I-labeled or L-[35S]methionine-labeled PAI-1 as probes. Little specific binding of latent PAI-1 to ECM previously depleted of endogenous PAI-1 could be demonstrated. In contrast, the guanidine-activated form of PAI-1 bound to ECM in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and binding was saturable. The dissociation constant (Kd) for this interaction was estimated to be 60 nM by Scatchard analysis, and approximately 6 pmol of activated PAI-1 was bound per cm2 of ECM. Binding was relatively specific since unlabeled, activated PAI-1 competed with 35S-labeled PAI-1 for binding to ECM, but latent PAI-1 did not. Moreover, PAI-2, protein C inhibitor (i.e. PAI-3), protease nexin-1, and alpha 2-antiplasmin were not able to compete. Tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) also inhibited binding, but diisopropyl fluorophosphate-inactivated tPA did not. Pretreatment of ECM with tPA, urokinase-type PA, or thrombin had no effect on its ability to subsequently bind PAI-1, whereas trypsin, plasmin, and elastase pretreatment greatly reduced its ability to bind PAI-1. Guanidine-activated, radiolabeled PAI-1 resembled active endogenous PAI-1 since it was unstable in solution but stable when bound to ECM. In addition, it formed complexes with tPA that had a relatively low affinity for ECM. These data suggest that ECM of bovine aortic endothelial cells contains a protease-sensitive structure that binds active PAI-1 tightly and relatively selectively and that this association stabilizes PAI-1 against the spontaneous loss of activity that occurs in solution.     

Immunoelectron microscopic localization of type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor on the surface of activated endothelial cells

Immunogold EM was employed to compare the distribution of type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) on the surface of agonist-activated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with that of control, unactivated cells. As previously observed, (Schleef, R.R., T.J. Podor, E. Dunne, J. Mimuro, and D.J. Loskutoff. J. Cell Biol. 110:155-163), analysis of cross-sections of nonpermeabilized control HUVEC monolayers stained first with affinity-purified rabbit antibodies to PAI-1 and then with gold-conjugated goat anti-rabbit IgG, revealed the presence of relatively few gold particles (less than 1-2% of the total) on the apical cell surface. The majority of gold particles were detected primarily in the extracellular matrix between the culture substratum and the cell membrane. In contrast, treatment of HUVECs with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha; 200 U/ml, 24 h) or with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 10 micrograms/ml, 24 h) resulted in an increased staining of PAI-1 not only in the extracellular matrix, but also on the apical cell surface (10-fold increase). Immunoabsorption of the rabbit anti-PAI-1 with purified PAI-1, or treatment of HUVECs with tissue-type plasminogen activator (2.5 micrograms/ml, 2 h, 4 degrees C) reduced the amount of staining both on the apical surface and in the extracellular matrix of agonist-activated HUVECs by 80-95%. The topographical location of PAI-1 on the cell surface was examined further by coupling immunogold staining with high resolution surface replication. Transmission EM of surface replicas from TNF alpha- or LPS-activated HUVECs revealed a general increase in PAI-1 staining both on planar regions and within indentations of the apical cell surface. Nonactivated HUVECs revealed PAI-1-specific immunogold particles only in areas of exposed extracellular matrix between the cells and occasionally at regions of cell-cell contacts. Analysis of activated bovine aortic endothelial cells by immuno-electron microscopy, immunologic assays, and flow cytometry revealed similar increases in surface PAI-1. These increases in surface PAI-1 could be detected by 3 h and continued over a 24-h period. The expression of PAI-1 on the luminal surface of endothelial cells during immune or inflammatory reactions could reduce endothelial fibrinolytic activity, thus, promoting the localized, pathologic formation of intravascular thrombi.     

Binding of tissue plasminogen activator to human aortic endothelial cells.

The experiments described in this paper were designed to examine the specific binding of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) to cultured human aortic endothelial (HAE) cells. When 125I-labelled tPA was incubated with the cells at 4 degrees C, binding was found to plateau within 90 min after incubations were begun. Binding was saturable and the bound enzyme dissociated from the sites with a half-time of approx. 48 min. Scatchard analyses were performed using tPA molecules isolated from human melanoma and colon cells as well as from C127 and Chinese hamster ovary cells that had been transfected with the human tPA gene. These enzymes showed very similar binding characteristics in spite of the fact that they differ substantially in the types of sugars which comprise their side chains. Neither the chainedness of the molecules (one-chain or two-chain) nor the sites at which they are glycosylated (type I or type II) appear to affect their ability to interact with binding sites. The tPA molecules were found to have an average equilibrium dissociation constant of (1.15 +/- 0.10) x 10(-9) M and HAE cells appeared to have a single, homogeneous population of independent binding sites present at a concentration of (1.57 +/- 0.13) x 10(6) sites per cell. Lowering the pH of the binding buffer from 7.4 to 6.5 resulted in a reversible increase in specific binding of between 2-fold and 7-fold depending upon the particular preparation of cells. Preincubation of tPA with plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) was found to have little effect on binding, suggesting that tPA interacts at sites distinct from surface-bound PAI-1. No evidence for either internalization or degradation of tPA was observed in assays run at 37 degrees C. This suggests that, like urokinase, tPA remains on cell surfaces for an extended period of time.     

Synthesis and secretion of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 by human endothelial cells in vitro. Effect of active site mutagenized tissue-type plasminogen activator

The effects of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) and of an inactive mutant of rt-PA, obtained by mutagenesis of the active site Ser478 to Ala (rt-PA-Ala478), on the synthesis and secretion of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) by human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in culture were studied. Under base-line conditions, PAI-1 antigen secretion was 4.3 +/- 1.0 micrograms (mean +/- S.D., n = 8) per 10(6) cells in 24 h. This PAI-1 had a low specific activity (6,000 +/- 1,600 units/mg) and Mr of 50,000, which was not altered by addition of rt-PA. In HUVEC cultured with 2 micrograms/ml rt-PA-Ala478, PAI-1 antigen secretion was 2.1 +/- 0.8 micrograms (n = 5) per 10(6) cells in 24 h with a specific activity of 120,000 +/- 42,000 units/mg and Mr of 50,000. Addition of rt-PA to this conditioned medium resulted in generation of three main components: 16% migrated as an Mr 106,000 rt-PA.PAI-1 complex, 16% as an Mr 81,000 degraded rt-PA.PAI-1 complex and the remainder as an Mr 45,000 degradation product of PAI-1. HUVEC cultured with 2 micrograms/ml rt-PA secreted 3.9 +/- 0.6 micrograms (n = 8) PAI-1 antigen per 10(6) cells within 24 h, of which 20-50% occurred as intact or degraded complexes with t-PA (Mr 106,000 and 81,000) and the rest as an inactive Mr 45,000 degradation product of PAI-1. PAI-1 mRNA levels, determined by Northern blot analysis and expressed relative to beta-actin mRNA levels, were very similar for HUVEC cultured in the absence or the presence of rt-PA or rt-PA-Ala478. It is concluded that PAI-1 is secreted by HUVEC in culture in fully active form which spontaneously inactivates. PAI-1 can be stabilized by addition of rt-PA-Ala478 to the culture medium, resulting in a 20-fold increase in specific activity. Interaction of rt-PA with active PAI-1 produces both t-PA.PAI-1 complex and an inactive degradation product of PAI-1.     

Cytokine activation of vascular endothelium. Effects on tissue-type plasminogen activator and type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor

Regulation of the fibrinolytic system of cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by recombinant interleukin 1 beta (rIL-1 beta) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (rTNF alpha) was investigated. Functional and immunologic assays indicated that both cytokines decreased HUVEC tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) and increased type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Maximal effects (50% decrease in tPA antigen; 300-400% increase in PAI-1 activity) were achieved with 2.5 units/ml rIL-1 beta and 200 units/ml rTNF alpha. Combinations of rIL-1 beta and rTNF alpha were not additive at these maximal concentrations. After a 24-h pretreatment with rIL-1 beta, HUVECs secreted tPA at one-quarter of the rate of control cells and released PAI-1 at a rate that was 5-fold higher than controls. Neither the basal rate of PAI-1 release nor the increased rate of release of PAI-1 in response to rIL-1 beta was affected by subsequently treating the cells with secretagogues (e.g. phorbol myristate acetate) suggesting that PAI-1 is not contained within a rapidly releasable, intracellular storage pool. Northern blot analysis using a PAI-1 cDNA probe indicated that the cytokines increased the steady-state levels of the 3.2- and 2.3-kb PAI-1 mRNA species, but with a preferential increase in the larger mRNA form. The fact that both rIL-1 beta and rTNF alpha act in a similar manner strengthens the hypothesis that the local development of inflammatory/immune processes could reduce endothelial fibrinolytic activity.