Histamine stimulates prostacyclin synthesis in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Human venous endothelial cells synthesize prostacyclin (PGI₂) in response to treatment with histamine. The amount of PGI₂ produced is proportional to the histamine concentration over the range of 10^?7 to 10^?5 M, with a maximal response at 2–5 × 10^?6 M. PGI₂ synthesis occurs as a burst lasting less than 3 minutes after histamine addition. The H1 histamine receptor antagonist pyrilamine causes an 87% inhibition of PGI₂ synthesis, whereas the H2 antagonist cimetidine gives no significant inhibition, suggesting that PGI₂ synthesis in response to histamine is mediated by an H1 receptor.     

Calcium-mobilizing agonists stimulate anion fluxes in cultured endothelial cells from human umbilical vein

Intracellular ion concentrations were determined in split skins of Rana pipiens using the technique of electron microprobe analysis. Based on the 1 min Br uptake from the apical bath, two types of mitochondria-rich (MR) cells could be distinguished: active cells which rapidly exchanged their anions with the apical bath and inactive cells which did not. Br uptake and frequency of active MR cells were closely correlated with the skin conductance, g _t. Replacing Cl in the apical bath with an impermeant anion significantly lowered g _t and the Br uptake and Na concentration of active cells. Even larger reductions were observed after apical amiloride (0.1 mm). The inhibition of the Br uptake was reversible by voltage clamping (100 mV, inside positive). Cl removal and amiloride also led to some shrinkage of active cells. The results suggest that the active cell is responsible for a large part of g _t. Inactive MR cells had much lower Br and Na concentrations which were not significantly affected by Cl removal, amiloride, or voltage clamping. Principal cells, which represent the main cell type of the epithelium, showed only a minimal Br uptake from the apical side which was not correlated with g _t. Moreover, Cl removal had no effect on the Na, Br, and Cl concentrations of principal cells.I wish to thank Cathy Langford for her excellent technical assistance. Financial support was provided by National Institutes of Health grants DK35717 and 1S10-RR0-234501.     

Thrombin and histamine stimulate the phosphorylation of elongation factor 2 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

The effects of thrombin and histamine on protein phosphorylation in intact cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) prelabeled with 32PO4 were investigated. Incubation of HUVEC with either thrombin or histamine, agonists known to induce rapid transient increases in intracellular calcium levels in HUVEC, caused a rapid reversible increase in the phosphorylation of a protein with a Mr = 100,000 independent of the presence of extracellular calcium. Immunological and biochemical studies demonstrated that this Mr = 100,000 protein is elongation factor 2 (EF-2), a substrate previously shown to be phosphorylated by calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase III (Nairn, A. C., and Palfrey, H. C. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 17299-17303). EF-2 is crucial for protein synthesis because it catalyzes the translocation of peptidyl-tRNA on the ribosome. Phosphoamino acid analysis of the EF-2 immunoprecipitated from HUVEC revealed that all of the thrombin-stimulated phosphorylation occurred on threonine. EF-2 was also phosphorylated when HUVEC were treated with the calcium ionophore, ionomycin. Phosphorylation of EF-2 was not increased by treatment with D-Phe-Pro-Arg-chloromethyl ketone thrombin, phorbol dibutyrate, forskolin, or 8-bromo-cGMP. The transient nature of the phosphorylation of EF-2 is consistent with it having a role in mediating some of the transient effects of thrombin and histamine on endothelial cell protein synthesis and functional capabilities.     

Fibroblast products adsorb to the culture substrate and stimulate growth of human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Human umbilical vein endothelial cells grew with a doubling time of approximately 20 hr in medium conditioned by human diploid fibroblasts and supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum, whereas the cells did not grow substantially in the non-conditioned serum supplemented medium. Production of the fibroblast-derived activity required the presence of insulin, EGF, or PDGF. The fibroblast derived-factor adsorbed to native culture dishes or dishes coated with gelatin and collagen. The adsorbed activity was resistant to treatment with 1% Triton X-100, and was abolished by treatment with serine proteases. Further, the extracellular matrix produced by the fibroblasts also showed growth-stimulating activity. Fibroblast-derived factors may play a role in vascularization processes during wound healing, inflammation and normal development.     

Proteoglycans from human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were incubated with [35S]sulphate and investigated for their proteoglycan production. By gel chromatography, ion-exchange chromatography and CsCl density-gradient centrifugation we obtained preparative amounts of the endothelial proteoheparan sulphate HSI and of proteochondroitin sulphate from the conditioned medium of mass-cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Approximately 90% of the 35S-labeled material in the endothelial cell conditioned medium was proteochondroitin sulphate. This molecule, with a molecular mass of 180-200 kDa, contains four side-chains of 35-40 kDa and a core protein of 35-40 kDa. Two proteoheparan sulphate forms (HSI and HSII) from the conditioned medium were distinguished by molecular mass and transport kinetics from the cell layer to the medium in pulse-chase experiments. One major form (HSI), with an approximate molecular mass of 160-200 kDa a core protein of 55-60 kDa and three to four polysaccharide side-chains of 35 kDa each, was found enriched in the cellular membrane pellet. Another proteoheparan sulphate (HSII), with polysaccharide moieties of 20 kDa, is enriched in the subendothelial matrix (substratum).     

Histamine-induced phosphoinositide metabolism in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Association with thromboxane and prostacyclin release

Histamine stimulation of cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells induced dose- and time-dependent increases in glycerophosphoinositol (GroPIns), inositol-1-phosphate (InsP), inositolbisphosphate (InsP2) and inositoltrisphosphate (InsP3) in addition to release of thromboxane A2 and prostacyclin. Increases in InsP2 and InsP3 were immediate while increases in GroPIns and InsP occurred only after 1 min. Thromboxane A2 and prostacyclin release paralleled GroPIns and InsP production. The data indicate that, in endothelial cells, histamine evokes early hydrolysis of polyphosphoinositides, and that subsequent mobilization of arachidonic acid for thromboxane and prostacyclin synthesis involves both deacylation and phosphodiesteratic cleavage of phosphatidylinositol.     

Organizational behavior of human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Culture conditions that favor rapid multiplication of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUV-EC) also support long-term serial propagation of the cells. This is routinely achieved when HUV-EC are grown in Medium 199 (M-199) supplemented with fetal bovine serum (FBS) and endothelial cell growth factor (ECGF), on a human fibronectin (HFN) matrix. The HUV-EC can shift from a proliferative to an organized state when the in vitro conditions are changed from those favoring low density proliferation to those supporting high density survival. When ECGF and HFN are omitted, cultures fail to achieve confluence beyond the first or second passage: the preconfluent cultures organize into tubular structures after 4-6 wk. Some tubes become grossly visible and float in the culture medium, remaining tethered to the plastic dish at either end of the tube. On an ultrastructural level, the tubes consist of cells, held together by junctional complexes, arranged so as to form a lumen. The smallest lumens are formed by one cell folding over to form a junction with itself. The cells contain Weibel-Palade bodies and factor VIII-related antigen. The lumens contain granular, fibrillar and amorphous debris. Predigesting the HFN matrix with trypsin (10 min, 37 degrees C) or plasmin significantly accelerates tube formation. Thrombin and plasminogen activator had no apparent effect. Disruption of the largest tubes with trypsin/EDTA permits the cells to revert to a proliferative state if plated on HFN, in M-199, FBS, and ECGF. These observations indicate that culture conditions that do not favor proliferation permit attainment of a state of nonterminal differentiation (organization) by the endothelial cell. Furthermore, proteolytic modification of the HFN matrix may play an important role in endothelial organization.     

Agents that stimulate phosphoinositide turnover also elevate cAMP in SK-N-SH human neuroblastoma cells.

Stimulation of m1 and of m3 muscarinic receptors has previously been shown to increase intracellular cAMP levels in a variety of cells. Although the mechanism underlying this response is not fully understood, it has been hypothesized to be secondary to the IP3-mediated rise in intracellular calcium. In order to determine whether other means of elevating intracellular calcium also raise cAMP levels, we stimulated SK-N-SH human neuroblastoma cells with bradykinin or with maitotoxin. Both of these agents stimulated phospholipase C, stimulated inositol phosphate release and elevated cAMP levels, thus demonstrating that this cAMP response is not unique to muscarinic receptor stimulation.     

Guanine nucleotide-dependent, pertussis toxin-insensitive regulation of phosphoinositide turnover by bradykinin in bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells

In this paper we examine the effect of the vasodilator peptide bradykinin on endothelial cell regulation of phosphoinositide (PI) turnover. The data show that the activation of PI turnover by bradykinin in bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells is insensitive to pertussis toxin, which ADP ribosylates a membrane protein of mol wt 40,000. However, this effect of bradykinin can be potentiated by guanosine 5'-O-(3-thio)triphosphate (GTP gamma S), an activator of G proteins, and depressed by guanosine 5'-O-(2-thio)diphosphate (GDP beta S), an inhibitor of G proteins. After endothelial cells were preincubated for 1 h with GTP gamma S, there was a three- to fourfold increase in PI turnover. Preincubation of cells with GDP beta S did not affect the basal level of PI turnover, but completely prevented activation of PI turnover by bradykinin. 4 beta-Phorbol-12 beta-myristate-13 alpha-acetate can block the bradykinin-stimulated inositol monophosphate formation in cultured endothelial cells. The effects of bradykinin on PI turnover were blocked by B2 antagonists but not by B1 antagonists. Taken together, these results indicate that in endothelial cells the bradykinin B2 receptor is coupled to phospholipase C via a G protein (or proteins) that is not a substrate for pertussis toxin (neither Gi nor Go).     

Glycosphingolipids of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells

Glycosphingolipids (GSLs) represent an important class of immunogens and receptors. Although cell surface antigens and receptors of endothelial cells (ECs) have been the subject of extensive biochemical investigation, no information is available about their GSLs. We report here the characterization by chromatographic and immunological techniques of GSLs of cultured human umbilical vein ECs and, for comparison, umbilical vein smooth muscle cells (SMCs). The most abundant neutral GSLs of both cell types were lactosylceramide, Gb3, and Gb4, and both cells contained complex lacto and globo series compounds. Immunostaining revealed that ECs, but not SMCs, contained long chain GSLs bearing a type 2 blood group H determinant. ECs also contained more long chain GSLs bearing an unsubstituted terminal lactosamine structure than SMCs. Labeling with galactose oxidase/NaB3H4 demonstrated that neutral glycolipids that contained three or more sugars were accessible on the cell surface. The major gangliosides of both cell types were GM3 and IV3NeuAcnLc4. Immunostaining following neuraminidase treatment revealed that most of the long chain gangliosides in both types of cells contained a lacto core structure, and that ganglio series compounds were more abundant in SMCs than ECs. Gangliosides that contain a polyfucosyllactosamine core and a globo core were also present in both cell types. These results demonstrate that endothelial and smooth muscle cells contain a large diversity of GSL structures, and provide the basis for investigation of the role of these GSLs as cell surface antigens and receptors for blood components.     

Myricetin ameliorates high glucose-induced endothelial dysfunction in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Endothelial dysfunction is recognized as the initial detectable stage of cardiovascular disease, a serious complication of diabetes. In this study, we evaluated effects of myricetin on high glucose (HG)-elicited oxidative damage in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The cells were pre-incubated with myricetin and then treated with HG to induce apoptosis. The effect of myricetin on viability was investigated by MTT assay. The levels of lipid peroxidation (LPO) were determined by thiobarbituric acid (TBA) method. The protein expression of Bax, Bcl-2 and caspase-3 was measured by western blot analysis. Moreover, the effect of myricetin on total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total thiol molecules was also determined. Our results showed that myricetin was able to markedly restore the viability of endothelial cells under oxidative stress. Myricetin reduced HG-caused increase in LPO levels. Also, TAC and total thiol molecules were notably elevated by myricetin. Incubation with myricetin decreased the protein expression levels of Bax, whereas it increased the expression levels of the Bcl-2, compared with HG treatment alone. Furthermore, myricetin significantly decreased cleaved caspase-3 protein expression. It is concluded that myricetin may protect HUVECs from oxidative stress induced by HG via increasing cell TAC and reducing Bax/Bcl-2 protein ratio, and caspase-3 expression.     

Thrombin-induced vimentin phosphorylation in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells were stimulated with thrombin (1 unit/ml) for 15-30 s and then lysed with a solution of Triton X-100 containing [gamma-32P]adenosine triphosphate. Thrombin-stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells showed an enhanced incorporation of 32P into at least 12 different proteins as compared to control cells treated similarly. The observed enhanced phosphorylation required the active site of thrombin because diisopropylphosphoryl-thrombin had no effect on the level of phosphorylation. The molecular weight of one of the phosphoproteins was similar to that of the intermediate filament protein vimentin (55-60 kDa), a major protein in endothelial cells. This 59-kDa protein was Triton X-100-insoluble and reacted on a Western blot with antibody raised in guinea pig against Chinese hamster ovary cell vimentin. Addition of the anti-vimentin antibody to the thrombin-stimulated, phosphorylated lysate immuno-precipitated a single 32P-labeled protein (59 kDa). These results demonstrate that thrombin rapidly stimulates the phosphorylation of vimentin in cultured endothelial cells and links thrombin stimulation to the phosphorylation of a cytoskeletal protein.     

Thrombin-induced ATP release from human umbilical vein endothelial cells

ATP and its degradation products play an important role as signaling molecules in the vascular system, and endothelial cells are considered to be an important source of nucleotide release. To investigate the mechanism and physiological significance of endothelial ATP release, we compared different pharmacological stimuli for their ability to evoke ATP release from first passage cultivated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Agonists known to increase intracellular Ca(2+) levels (A23187, histamine, thrombin) induced a stable, non-lytic ATP release. Since thrombin proved to be the most robust and reproducible stimulus, the molecular mechanism of thrombin-mediated ATP release from HUVECs was further investigated. ATP rapidly increased with thrombin (1 U/ml) and reached a steady-state level after 4 min. Loading the cells with BAPTA-AM to capture intracellular calcium suppressed ATP release. The thrombin-specific, protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR-1)-specific agonist peptide TFLLRN (10 μM) fully mimicked thrombin action on ATP release. To identify the nature of the ATP-permeable pathway, we tested various inhibitors of potential ATP channels for their ability to inhibit the thrombin response. Carbenoxolone, an inhibitor of connexin hemichannels and pannexin channels, as well as Gd(3+) were highly effective in blocking the thrombin-mediated ATP release. Specifically targeting connexin43 (Cx43) and pannexin1 (Panx1) revealed that reducing Panx1 expression significantly reduced ATP release, while downregulating Cx43 was ineffective. Our study demonstrates that thrombin at physiological concentrations is a potent stimulus of endothelial ATP release involving PAR-1 receptor activation and intracellular calcium mobilization. ATP is released by a carbenoxolone- and Gd(3+)- sensitive pathway, most likely involving Panx1 channels.     

Surface glycoproteins of cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Radioactive surface-specific and metabolic labeling techniques were used to characterize the surface glycoprotein pattern of cultured human endothelial cells. Electrophoretic analysis of whole cells, surface labeled either by the galactose oxidase/sodium borotritide or the periodate/sodium borotritide method, revealed several major polypeptides in the Mr region of ca 40-220. During primary culture, the surface labeling pattern showed no changes related to cell density or to the establishment of confluence. A slightly different polypeptide profile was, however, seen when primary culture cells were labeled as an intact monolayer and not in suspension. On the other hand, in cells from later passages, when compared to their parental cells of early passages, there was a distinct intensification of polypeptides with Mr 155 and 90.     

Vascular endothelial growth factor upregulates follistatin in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), plays a key role in angiogenesis. Many endogenous factors can affect angiogenesis in endothelial cells. VEGF is known to be a strong migration, sprouting, survival, and proliferation factor for endothelial cells during angiogenesis in endothelial cells. Searching for novel genes, involved in VEGF signaling during angiogenesis, we carried out differential display polymerase chain reaction on RNA from VEGF-stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). In this study, follistatin (FS) differentially expressed in VEGF-treated HUVECs, compared with controls. Addition of VEGF (10 ng/mL) produced an approximately 11.8-fold increase of FS mRNA. FS or VEGF produced approximately 1.8- or 2.9-fold increases, respectively, in matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) secretion for 12 h, compared to the addition of a control buffer. We suggest that VEGF may affect the angiogenic effect of HUVECs, through a combination of the direct effects of VEGF itself, and the indirect effects mediated via induction of FSin vitro.     

Homocysteine uptake by human umbilical vein endothelial cells in culture

The characteristics of the uptake of L-homocysteine by cultures of human umbilical vein endothelial cells have been examined. Uptake occurred by Na(+)-dependent and Na(+)-independent systems, but was essentially independent of the pH of the uptake medium. The Na(+)-independent system corresponded to system L, being totally inhibited by the presence of beta-2-aminobicyclo(2,2,1)heptane-2-carboxylic acid (BCH) a system L analogue. It was concluded on the basis of starvation experiments coupled with failure to detect any inhibition in the presence of 2-methylaminoisobutyric acid (MeAIB), a system A analogue, that the Na(+)-dependent uptake was wholly accounted for by system ASC. The kinetic properties of systems L and ASC were determined by omitting Na+ from the uptake medium and incorporating BCH in the medium, respectively. It has been concluded on the basis of the inhibitory effects of a number of amino acids that uptake of homocysteine occurs by those systems which transport cysteine.     

Proteomic study of human umbilical vein endothelial cells in culture

The endothelium is a single layer of cells lining the inside face of all blood vessels. It constitutes a major metabolic organ which is critically involved in the generation and the regulation of multiple physiological and pathological processes such as coagulation, hemostasis, inflammation, atherosclerosis, angiogenesis and cancerous metastasis dissemination. In order to increase our knowledge about the protein content and the main biological pathways of human vascular endothelial cells, we have undertaken the proteomic analysis of the most explored present endothelial cell model, i.e. primocultures of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Using low levels of protein loads (~ 30 nug), the association of two-dimensional electrophoresis with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and database interrogations allowed us to identify 53 proteins of suspected endothelial origin in quiescent HUVECs. Beside cytoskeletal proteins such as actin, tubulin, tropomyosin and vimentin, we identified various proteins more especially implicated in cellular motility and plasticity (e.g. cofilin, F-actin capping protein and prefoldin), in regulation of apoptosis and senescence (protease inhibitor 9, glucose related proteins, heat shock proteins, thioredoxin peroxidase, nucleophosmin) as well as other proteins implicated in coagulation (annexin V, high mobility group protein), antigen presentation (valosin containing protein and ubiquitin carboxyl terminal hydrolase isozyme L1) and enzymatic capabilities (glutathione-S-transferase, protein disulfide isomerases, lactate deshydrogenase). The presented annotated 2-D maps of HUVECs will be soon available on the web at http://www. huvec.com.     

Phospholipid molecular species in human umbilical artery and vein endothelial cells

Molecular species of several phospholipid classes and subclasses were quantitatively determined in human umbilical artery and vein endothelial cells. Both types of endothelial cells were similar in phospholipid class composition, whereas they were markedly different in phospholipid subclass and molecular species composition. The amounts of two ether subclasses in phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine were higher in artery endothelial cells than those in vein endothelial cells. The relative content of alkylacyl subclass in phosphatidylcholine, a precursor of platelet-activating factor, was about three times higher in artery endothelial cells than in vein endothelial cells. In artery endothelial cells, arachidonic acid was in highest amounts in alkenylacyl phosphatidylethanolamine, followed by diacyl phosphatidylcholine, diacyl phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylinositol. In the vein endothelial cells, arachidonic acid was highest in phosphatidylinositol, followed by diacyl phosphatidylethanolamine, diacyl phosphatidylcholine, and alkenylacyl phosphatidylethanolamine. Artery endothelial cells had higher amounts of molecular species containing arachidonic acid than vein endothelial cells in all phospholipid classes and subclasses. These differences are thought to reflect the functional differences of artery and vein endothelial cells.     

Transport of L-cystine in human umbilical vein endothelial cells in culture

The uptake of L-cystine into cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells has been shown to occur by a Na⁺-independent system which is inhibited by L-glutamate and L-homocysteine, but not by other amino acids. It is likely that the system transporting L-cystine is shared by L-glutamate. Thiol groups associated with membrane bound components appear to be essential for L-cystine uptake but it is not yet evident whether these constitute an integral part of the transporterper se.     

Up-regulation of thrombomodulin in human umbilical vein endothelial cells in vitro

Previous studies have shown that thrombomodulin (TM) on endothelial cells is down-regulated by endotoxin, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). This loss of anti-coagulant potential is thought to be related to the hypercoagulable state in sepsis, inflammation, and cancer. The current studies describe up-regulation of TM in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by several compounds as judged by increased surface cofactor activity, surface TM antigen, and TM mRNA levels. Surface TM activity was increased by active phorbol esters (10(-8) M, 24-48 h), analogs of cAMP (1-10 mM, 4 h), and forskolin (10(-5) M, 24-48 h). Up-regulation of TM in HUVECs by 4 beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and dibutyryl cAMP (dBcAMP) was due to de novo synthesis of TM protein resulting from increased TM mRNA levels. The results suggest that protein kinase C and protein kinase A may be involved in cellular regulatory mechanisms for TM expression. In addition, PMA effects on surface TM activity are biphasic, with an initial reduction followed by a significant enhancement. Hence, we propose that compounds capable of increasing intracellular cAMP concentrations in HUVECs may be useful in preventing thrombosis by increasing the anti-thrombotic properties of endothelial cells.