Biosynthesis of collagen and metabolism of lipids by endothelial cells in culture

Endothelial cells from umbilical vein and a hemangioendothelioma secrete basement membrane largely to the exclusion of interstitial procollagens

The biosynthesis of extracellular matrix proteins by primary cultures of endothelial cells from human umbilical vein, and by clones from a murine hemangioendothelioma, was studied and compared to that reported for endothelium cultured from other sources. Umbilical vein endothelial cells secreted two glycoproteins-fibronectin and thrombospondin-which comprise the major proportion of the protein in the culture media of bovine aortic, venous, and corneal endothelial cells. These biosynthetic products were absent from hemangioendothelioma cultures. However, in contrast to bovine endothelium from large vessels and cornea, which secrete primarily Type III procollagen into the culture medium, both the umbilical vein and hemangioendothelioma cultures secrete Type IV (basement membrane) procollagen. In addition, EC, a novel endothelial collagen type that has been characterized in bovine endothelial cell supernates, was not present in the umbilical vein or tumor-derived endothelium. The production of basement membrane procollagen as the major collagen type in the medium of these cultures probably reflects the nature of the vascular bed from which the endothelial cells originated, rather than differences in species of in cellular isolation and subculture. We suggest that endothelial cells from different vascular environments could display variations in growth, migration, morphology, and response to exogenous blood-borne factors as a result of their relationship to an extracellular matrix/subendothelium composed of diverse structural glycoproteins.

Isolation and growth of endothelial cells from the microvessels of the newborn human foreskin in cell culture

A procedure for the isolation and in vitro cultivation of endothelial cells from the microvessels of the newborn human foreskin dermis is described. The epidermis was removed from foreskin tissue using a Castroviejo keratotome (0.1 mm shim). Endothelial cells were released from the dermal vessels by trypsinization of 5 mm2 sections of dermis at 37 degrees C for 40 min. Cells were expressed into Minimal Essential Medium (MEM) containing 10% pooled human serum, collected by centrifugation and plated onto either a plain plastic or a fibronectin treated culture surface. In primary culture the rate of endothelial cell proliferation was dependent upon serum type and concentration being optimal in 50% pooled human serum. High serum concentration in combination with pretreatment of the culture surface with fibronectin was required for maximal proliferation rate, for the cells to achieve confluence and for subcultivation. Primary and subcultured cells were characterized as endothelial by light microscopic, immunofluorescent (Factor VIII associated protein) and ultrastructural (Weibel-Palade body) criteria.

Comparison of the intracellular lipids of cultured vascular endothelial cells and fibroblasts

The lipids of human umbilical vein endothelial cells, calf aortic endothelial cells and foreskin fibroblasts have been compared. Cell cultures were established, and, upon confluency, the lipids were extracted and analyzed with respect to total lipid content, classes of lipids and total lipid fatty acid composition. The total quantity of lipid per milligram protein found in both human umbilical vein endothelium and calf aorta endothelium was similar to that found in fibroblasts grown in similar medium. Both types of endothelium contained the same major neutral lipid classes as fibroblasts, although they contained more phospholipid than did fibroblasts. The fatty acid composition of the three cells examined was influenced by cell type as well as the type of serum in the culture medium.

Comparative adherence of granulocytes to endothelial monolayers and nylon fiber

Adherence of granulocytes to tissue culture monolayers of endothelium averaged 26.2 +/- 1.3% SEM, which was similar to their adherence on 50-mg nylon fiber columns (27.7 +/- 3.6%). In contrast, adherence to epithelial cells, fibroblasts, kidney cells, and plastic Petri dishes without monolayers was only 12.4, 9.9, 11.1, and 4.3%, respectively. Cyclic nucleotides and adherence-modifying plasma factors induced changes of adherence to endothelium similar to those in nylon fiber columns. Adherence of granulocytes in whole blood was the same as for purified granulocytes in Hank's balanced salt solution. Exposure of endothelial monolayers to 0.18% trypsin for 10 min reduced subsequent granulocyte adherence to 25.2% of control values. Incubation of trypsin-treated monolayers with nutrient medium for 4 h did not improve adherence, but values returned to normal or above by 24 h, with or without serum proteins present in the nutrient medium. The similarity of granulocyte adherence to nylon fiber and to endothelial monolayers in vitro suggests that results with the nylon fiber assay reflect in vivo granulocyte-endothelium interaction. Furthermore, the endothelial monolayer offers a new model for studying this cell-cell relationship in vitro.

Diabetic microangiopathy. I. Current status of the chemistry and metabolism of the glomerular basement membrane

In recent years, the nature of the renal glomerular basement membrane has been the subject of numerous investigations. In diabetes mellitus, the renal glomerulus is characterized primarily by thickening of the basement membrane and excessive accumulation of basement membrane-like material in the mesangial region. Compositional analyses have shown that basement membranes are glycoprotein in nature. Studies of the glomerular basement membranes in diabetes have indicated a change from normal chemical composition. Furthermore, studies of the metabolism of diabetic kidneys in experimental animals, using cortical homogenates and isolated glomeruli, have demonstrated higher anabolic and lower catabolic enzyme activities. However, contradictory data have been reported with regard to both the chemical composition and metabolism of the kidney in human and experimental diabetes. This review attempts to examine these reports in detail and discuss the possible causes for these discrepancies.