Method for the Culture of Mouse Pulmonary Microvascular Endothelial Cells.

Pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (ECs) are integral to the alveoli-capillary barrier of the lung. The EC barrier integrity is known to be disrupted in severe lung diseases such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), pneumonia and pulmonary edema. Mice are commonly used to model these diseases, dictating an increasingly high demand for murine ECs isolation and culture. Despite the significant number of protocols for the culture of various types of murine cells, the isolation of microvascular endothelial cells remains a challenging procedure. In our manuscript we developed adetailed step-by-step refined method for isolation murine pulmonary microvascular ECs for in vitro studies. We separated cells using platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule antibody and characterized ECs with antibodies against intercellular adhesion molecule-1, acetylated-low density lipoprotein, and vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin. Further, we confirmed microvascular origin of these cells using Griffonia simplicifolia and Helix pomatia (negative control) staining. Barrier properties of EC monolayer were characterized by conducting electric cell-substrate impedance sensing experiments with the edemagenic agents, lipopolysaccharide and nocodazole, and known barrier-protective agents, adenosine and sphingosine-1-phosphate. The described complete protocol provided consistent and reproducible results.

Low anticoagulant heparin blocks thrombin-induced endothelial permeability in a PAR-dependent manner.

Acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome are accompanied by thrombin activation and fibrin deposition that enhance lung inflammation, activate endothelial cells and disrupt lung paracellular permeability. Heparin possesses anti-inflammatory properties but its clinical use is limited by hemorrhage and heparin induced thrombocytopenia. We studied the effects of heparin and low anticoagulant 2-O, 3-O desulfated heparin (ODSH) on thrombin-induced increases in paracellular permeability of cultured human pulmonary endothelial cells (ECs). Pretreatment with heparin or ODSH blocked thrombin-induced decrease in the EC transendothelial electrical resistance (TER), attenuated thrombin-stimulated paracellular gap formation and actin cytoskeletal rearrangement. Our data demonstrated that heparin and ODSH had inhibitory effects on thrombin-induced RhoA activation and intracellular calcium elevation. Thrombin-stimulated phosphorylation of the cytoskeletal regulatory proteins, myosin light chain and ezrin/radixin/moesin was also reduced. In these effects, low anticoagulant ODSH was more potent than heparin. Heparin or ODSH alone produced decreases in the EC TER that were abolished by siRNA-mediated depletion of the thrombin receptor, PAR-1. We also demonstrated that, in contrast to heparin, ODSH did not possess thrombin-binding activity. Results suggest that heparin and low anticoagulant ODSH can interfere with thrombin-activated signaling.

Protective effect of adenosine receptors against lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury.

Acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) affect 200,000 people a year in the USA. Pulmonary vascular and specifically endothelial cell (EC) barrier compromise is a hallmark of these diseases. We have recently shown that extracellular adenosine enhances human pulmonary (EC) barrier via activation of adenosine receptors (ARs) in cell cultures. On the basis of these data, we hypothesized that activation of ARs might exert barrier-protective effects in a model of ALI/ARDS in mice. To test this hypothesis, we examined the effects of pre- and posttreatment of adenosine and 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA), a nonselective stable AR agonist, on LPS-induced lung injury. Mice were given vehicle or LPS intratracheally followed by adenosine, NECA, or vehicle instilled via the internal jugular vein. Postexperiment cell counts, Evans Blue Dye albumin (EBDA) extravasation, levels of proteins, and inflammatory cytokines were analyzed. Harvested lungs were used for histology and myeloperoxidase studies. Mice challenged with LPS alone demonstrated an inflammatory response typical of ALI. Cell counts, EBDA extravasation, as well as levels of proteins and inflammatory cytokines were decreased in adenosine-treated mice. Histology displayed reduced infiltration of neutrophils. NECA had a similar effect on LPS-induced vascular barrier compromise. Importantly, posttreatment with adenosine or NECA recovers lung vascular barrier and reduces inflammation induced by LPS challenge. Furthermore, adenosine significantly attenuated protein degradation of A2A and A3 receptors induced by LPS. Collectively, our results demonstrate that activation of ARs protects and restores vascular barrier functions and reduces inflammation in LPS-induced ALI.