Morphological differentiation of endothelial cells co-cultured with astrocytes on type-I or type-IV collagen.
In this study bovine aortic endothelial cells were co-cultured with astrocytes from fetal Wistar Kyoto rats. Endothelial cells growing on type-I collagen, co-cultured with astrocytes, showed various stages of development. Although some cells appeared to be mature, horseradish peroxidase penetrated within 1 min of incubation through the intercellular junctions of these endothelial elements maintained on type-I collagen. In contrast, endothelial cells on type-IV collagen, co-cultured with astrocytes, were well developed; their intercellular junctions were well established, and plasmalemmal vesicles reduced in number. As a result, horseradish peroxidase was unable to penetrate through the endothelial cells grown on type-IV collagen and co-cultured with astrocytes because of the reduced extent of the junctional and vesicular transport. These findings reveal that (1) type-IV collagen is essential for the differentiation of endothelial cells, (2) endothelial cell-astrocyte interactions occur during co-culture, and (3) endothelial permeability depends on astrocyte-produced factors, in addition to type-IV collagen.
Tagami
M
M
Department of Medicine, Sanraku Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
Yamagata
K
K
Fujino
H
H
Kubota
A
A
Nara
Y
Y
Yamori
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000166:cytology; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002417:Cattle; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003094:Collagen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase
D003094:Collagen; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase