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Biomedical subjects

G L Fry

Publications and source records attributed to G L Fry.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Contribution of a platelet component to endothelial prostacyclin production despite inhibition of platelet cyclooxygenase activity.

Platelets aggregated with low concentrations of thrombin enhanced prostacyclin release from umbilical vein endothelium, which had an active cyclooxygenase. This result cannot be explained solely by an effect of thrombin on the endothelium or by transfer of the endoperoxide PGH2 from platelets to the endothelium. The quantity of prostacyclin released is sufficient to alter platelet adherence to umbilical vein endothelium in the presence of thrombin.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗

Role of the vascular endothelium.

The intact vascular endothelial surface is considered to be "non-thrombogenic", and blood platelets usually fail to adhere to ti. In this role, the endothelium serves to maintain the integrity of the vascular system by preventing the escape of blood and by preventing the build-up of solid thrombus within the vessel, which would compromise blood flow. A possible explanation for the non-thrombogenic effect of the endothelium is the presence of prostacyclin (PGI2), the potent inhibitor of platelet aggregation and adherence, which is produced and released by the endothelium in response to various stimuli. Removal of PGI2 from the endothelium by four different methods did not increase baseline platelet adherence, but did increase thrombin-induced platelet adherence from 4 to 60%. Addition of exogenous PGI2, at low concentrations reversed the enhanced thrombin-induced platelet adherence under these conditions. Although it is unlikely that prostacyclin is the sole factor regulating platelet adherence to the endothelium, it appears to play a major role in the interaction of platelets with components of the blood vessel wall.

Animals↗

Utilization of arachidonic and linoleic acids by cultured human endothelial cells.

When cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells are supplemented with linoleic acid, the arachidonic acid content of the cellular phospholipids is reduced approximately 35%. Most of the fatty acid compositional change occurs during the first 24 h. One factor responsible for this effect is the inability of the endothelial cells to convert appreciable amounts of linoleic to arachidonic acid, due to a fatty acid delta 6-desaturase deficiency. By contrast, these endothelial cultures contain delta 5- and delta 9-desaturase activity and are able to elongate long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. The other factor that contributes to the decrease in arachidonic acid is that high concentrations of linoleic acid reduce the incorporation of arachidonate into cellular phospholipids. Stearic acid, a long-chain saturate, does not produce any reduction, whereas eicosatrienoic acid is an even more effective inhibitor than linoleic acid. In spite of the fact that high concentrations of these polyunsaturates produced inhibition, the endothelial cells were found to efficiently incorporate exogenous arachidonic acid into cellular phospholipids and triglycerides. This may serve to compensate for the inability of these cells to synthesize arachidonic acid from linoleic acid. These findings suggest that the endothelium obtains arachidonic acid from an extracellular source, that this cannot be provided in the form of linoleic acid and, in fact, that high concentrations of linoleic acid actually may interfere with the ability of the endothelium to maintain an adequate supply of intracellular arachidonic acid.

Arachidonic Acid↗

Effect of fatty acid modification on prostacyclin production by cultured human endothelial cells.

We have investigated whether changes in cellular fatty acid saturation can influence prostacyclin (PGI2) production by cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells. As compared to control cells, those enriched with linoleic acid released 60--75% less PGI2 in response to thrombin or the calcium ionophore A23187. A similar but considerably smaller effect was observed when the cells were enriched with oleic or linolenic acid, but no reduction occurred with palmitic or linoelaidic acids. Some reduction in PGI2 release was noted as early as 1 h after exposure to linoleic acid. When the culture medium was supplemented with linoleic acid, the cell phospholipids contained four to five times more linoleate and 25--40% less arachidonate. These changes were most marked in the choline and serine plus inositol phosphoglyceride fractions. When the fatty acid composition of the cells enriched with linoleic acid was allowed to revert, there was a progressive increase in the capacity of the cells to release PGI2 in response to thrombin. The increase correlated with a reduction in linoleate content of the cell lipids, but there was no change in arachidonate content. This suggests that linoleic acid may act as an inhibitor of PGI2 production. The cultured endothelial cells were also able to produce PGI2 directly from added arachidonic acid. As the arachidonic acid concentration of the medium was raised, PGI2 formation by the linoleate-enriched cells increased relative to control cells, suggesting that the inhibition produced by linoleic acid may be competitive.

Arachidonic Acids↗

Interaction of thrombin and platelets with the vascular endothelium.

Thrombin is a potent stimulus for prostacyclin (PGI2) release from the vascular endothelium. Treatment of the endothelium with high concentrations of aspirin to block PGI2 formation was associated with increased platelet adherence in a system employing thrombin and 51Cr-labeled platelets. Addition of exogenous PGI2 to the aspirin-treated endothelium restored platelet adherence to the low baseline values. After an initial exposure of the endothelium to thrombin, the cultured endothelium was unable to respond to a second thrombin stimulus with release of PGI2. During this refractory period, the absence of PGI2 was associated with increased platelet adherence. Thus thrombin, an active coagulant and thrombogenic substance, has the capability to release PGI2, the most potent inhibitor of platelet aggregation known to exist in vivo.

Aspirin↗

Inhibition of prostacyclin by treatment of endothelium with aspirin. Correlation with platelet adherence.

Aspirin treatment of cultured endothelial cells from the umbilical vein increased the adherence of 51Cr-platelets when thrombin was present. If the cyclooxygenase activity of endothelium was inhibited by aspirin, as it is in the platelet, reduction of endogenous prostacyclin (PGI2) production could have been responsible. By correlating thrombin-induced adherence of platelets to endothelial monolayers with PGI2 release (as measured by radioimmunoassay for 6-keto-prostaglandin FI1 alpha [6-keto-PGF1 alpha]), we have demonstrated an inverse relationship between platelet adherence and PGI2 levels. Untreated endothelial monolayers exposed to thrombin and platelets resulted in 4% platelet adherence and 107 nM 6-keto-PGF1 alpha. With 0.1 mM aspirin treatment, which is known to block platelet cyclooxygenase, adherence was 5% and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha decreased to 45 nM. Increasing the aspirin concentration to 1 mM resulted in 44% adherence and less than 3 nM 6-keto-PGF1 alpha. When 25 nM exogenous PGI2 was added to 1 mM aspirin-treated endothelium, adherence returned to 5%. The increase in thrombin-induced platelet adherence to 1 mM aspirin-treated monolayers was reversed 2 h after removal of the aspirin solution. 6-Keto-PGF1 alpha returned to 37% of the untreated monolayer value. Recovery from the aspirin effect did not occur when cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis, was present during the 2-h period.

Aspirin↗

The effects of glucocorticoids on cultured human endothelial cells.

The effects of hydrocortisone, dexamethasone and prednisone on the morphology, replication, DNA synthesis, cell protein content and protein synthesis of cultured, human endothelial cells were evaluated. After culturing the cells with these glucocorticoids for 24-48 h, the cells covered a greater portion of the culture surface area. The mean surface area of the individual endothelial cell treated with glucocorticoids was 1.53 times greater than that of the untreated control endothelial cell. When compared with controls, the endothelial cover provided by the cells treated with glucocorticoids was more extensive and in many instances covered the entire culture surface. The change in morphology was associated with an increase in protein synthesis and protein content of the cells without an increase in DNA synthesis or cellular replication. Dexamethasone was approximately 10-fold more effective than hydrocortisone, while prednisone was the least effective. Aldosterone, DOCA, testosterone, progesterone, oestradiol and oestriol were ineffective. These studies indicate that glucocorticoids can alter the morphology and biochemistry of cultured endothelial cells and may have implications for the effects of steroids in the treatment of thrombocytopenic states and vascular disorders in man.

Cells, Cultured↗

Effect of aspirin on thrombin-induced adherence of platelets to cultured cells from the blood vessel wall.

An in vitro method was used to detect adherence of (51)Cr-labeled platelets to monolayers of cultured human endothelial, fibroblast, and smooth muscle cells. Washed platelets did not adhere to untreated or aspirin-treated endothelial monolayers in the absence of thrombin. In contrast, thrombin-induced platelet aggregates adhered to all of the monolayers but adherence to endothelium was significantly less than to the other cells. Additional evidence for adherence of platelets to the endothelium was provided by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Thrombin-induced platelet adherence to endothelium was inhibited by hirudin. Platelet adherence induced by thrombin was enhanced significantly by treatment of the endothelial monolayer with 1-2 mM aspirin. This increase in adherence was seen even when aspirin-treated platelets were used; adherence values approached those seen with fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells. An aspirin concentration of 0.1 mM was sufficient to block thrombin-induced malonaldehyde production in platelets but it did not interfere with the inhibitory effect of the endothelium against platelet adherence. The effect of aspirin on the endothelium was temporary and inhibitory activity of the endothelium was restored 1 h after aspirin had been removed from the incubation system. The ability of thrombin to cause adherence of platelets to undamaged endothelium, and the potential for aspirin to enhance this adherence have implications for mechanisms which operate in platelet interaction with the blood vessel wall.

Aspirin↗

Effects of glucocorticoids on the interaction of lymphoblastoid cells with human endothelial cells in vitro.

The adhesive characteristics of cultured acute lymphocytic leukemia cells (CCRF-CEM), lymphoma cells (Raji), and freshly isolated acute lymphocytic leukemia cells to human cultured endothelial cells were studied. An assay system was used whereby these neoplastic cells were allowed to interact with endothelial cells while being continuously agitated on a rocking platform. All cell lines adhered significantly to the endothelium monolayers. This process appeared not to be dependent upon intact microtubular or microfilament function. Likewise, removing surface sialic acid from either cell type did not alter this process. In contrast incubating the endothelial cells for 24 or 48 hr with dexamethasone decreased adhesiveness of either CCRF-CEM or Raji cells to the endothelial cells by approximately 40%. Incubating these cells with hydrocortisone instead of dexamethasone for 48 hr was equally as effective in altering the endothelial cell adhesiveness. The decreased adhesiveness could be blocked by cycloheximide, indicating that this altered adhesiveness of the endothelial cells involves protein synthesis, presumably of a surface protein. We suggest that this assay system may provide a means to evaluate other agents that can alter the surface characteristics of endothelial cells, which may have important implications in various disease states such as inflammation, thrombogenesis, and metastatic disease.

Blood Vessels↗