Endothelial Cells. (endothelial + cells)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Cells meeting our immunophenotypic criteria of endothelial cells are large platelets

CYTOMETRY, Issue 2 2007
Michiel H. Strijbos
Abstract Background Circulating endothelial cells (CEC) are shed from damaged vasculature, making them a rational choice to serve as surrogate marker for vascular damage. Currently, various techniques and CEC definitions are in use, and their standardization and validation is needed. A flow cytometric single platform assay defining CEC as forward light scatter (FSC)low-to-intermedate, sideward light scatter (SSC)low, CD45,, CD31++ and CD146+ is a promising approach to enumerate CEC because of its simplicity (Mancuso et al., Blood 2001;97:3658,3661). Here, we set out to confirm the endothelial nature of these cells. Methods We isolated cells with a FSClow-to-intermediate, SSClow, CD31++, CD45dim immunophenotype (termed "cells meeting our immunophenotypic criteria for endothelial cells" [CMOIC]) from healthy donors to study the expression of endothelium-associated markers using several techniques. Special attention was paid to reagents identifying the endothelial cell-specific marker CD146. We compared antigen expression patterns of CMOIC with those of the HUVEC endothelial cell line and lymphocytes. Electron microscopy was used to detect the presence of endothelial cell-specific Weibel,Palade bodies in the sorted cells. Results CD146 expression was negative on CMOIC for all tested CD146 mAbs, but positive on HUVEC cells and a minor subset of T lymphocytes. Using flow cytometry, we found no expression of any endothelium-associated marker except for CD31 and CD34. HUVEC cells were positive for all endothelial markers except for CD34. Evaluation of CMOIC morphology showed a homogenous population of cells with a highly irregular nucleus-like structure and positive endothelial immunohistochemistry. CMOIC contained neither nuclei nor DNA. Electron microscopy revealed the absence of a nucleus, the absence of endothelial specific Weibel,Palade bodies, and revealed CMOIC to be large platelets. Conclusion The vast majority of cells with the immunophenotype FSClow-to-intermediate, SSClow, CD45,, CD31++ do not express CD146 and are large platelets rather than endothelial cells. © 2007 Clinical Cytometry Society. [source]


Eosinophils: ,new' roles for ,old' cells

ALLERGY, Issue 3 2004
A. Munitz
Prominent blood and tissue eosinophilia is manifested in a number of inflammatory states, particularly in allergic diseases. Eosinophils are a source of numerous cytokines and growth factors, thus in principle they can display both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory activities as well as immunoregulatory ones. In this review, we will discuss the cross-talk between eosinophils and other cell types that they come in contact with in the inflammatory milieu, such as mast cells, fibroblasts and endothelial cells. ,New' roles for eosinophils in cancer and novel activatory signals will also be described. [source]


Perfusion seeding of channeled elastomeric scaffolds with myocytes and endothelial cells for cardiac tissue engineering

BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 2 2010
Robert Maidhof
Abstract The requirements for engineering clinically sized cardiac constructs include medium perfusion (to maintain cell viability throughout the construct volume) and the protection of cardiac myocytes from hydrodynamic shear. To reconcile these conflicting requirements, we proposed the use of porous elastomeric scaffolds with an array of channels providing conduits for medium perfusion, and sized to provide efficient transport of oxygen to the cells, by a combination of convective flow and molecular diffusion over short distances between the channels. In this study, we investigate the conditions for perfusion seeding of channeled constructs with myocytes and endothelial cells without the gel carrier we previously used to lock the cells within the scaffold pores. We first established the flow parameters for perfusion seeding of porous elastomer scaffolds using the C2C12 myoblast line, and determined that a linear perfusion velocity of 1.0 mm/s resulted in seeding efficiency of 87% ± 26% within 2 hours. When applied to seeding of channeled scaffolds with neonatal rat cardiac myocytes, these conditions also resulted in high efficiency (77.2% ± 23.7%) of cell seeding. Uniform spatial cell distributions were obtained when scaffolds were stacked on top of one another in perfusion cartridges, effectively closing off the channels during perfusion seeding. Perfusion seeding of single scaffolds resulted in preferential cell attachment at the channel surfaces, and was employed for seeding scaffolds with rat aortic endothelial cells. We thus propose that these techniques can be utilized to engineer thick and compact cardiac constructs with parallel channels lined with endothelial cells. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2010 [source]


RhoC is essential for angiogenesis induced by hepatocellular carcinoma cells via regulation of endothelial cell organization

CANCER SCIENCE, Issue 10 2008
Wei Wang
The angiogenesis induced by tumor cells is essential for metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Available information suggests that RhoC participates in angiogenesis through regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor expression in tumor cells. For its broad functions in cell migration and cytoskeletal organization, we hypothesized that RhoC regulating angiogenesis does not exclusively depend on regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor expression. To address this question, in the present study, we used a retroviral small interfering RNA approach to selectively knockdown the expression of RhoC in a neovascularization model in vivo and in vitro. Our present results indicate that RhoC is the downstream regulator of vascular endothelial growth factor in endothelial cells and is essential for angiogenesis induced by vascular endothelial growth factor, notwithstanding that RhoC regulates the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in tumor cells. Furthermore, we show that knockdown of RhoC is associated with the inhibition of invasion and migration but not apoptosis of endothelial cells. Knockdown of RhoC results in inhibition of endothelial cell organization through restraining the reorganization of F-actin filaments, which represses endothelial cell network and sprout formation. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that knockdown of RhoC inhibits angiogenesis induced by tumor cells not only through effecting the release of vascular endothelial growth factor, but also through inhibiting endothelial cell migration and organization, which implies that it blocks tumor metastasis by specifically inhibiting RhoC in endothelial cells. (Cancer Sci 2008; 99: 2012,2018) [source]