title: In vitro and in vivo activation of endothelial cells by colony-stimulating factors.
abstract: This study was designed to identify the set of functions activated in cultured endothelial cells by the hematopoietic growth factors, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and granulocyte macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and to compare them with those elicited by prototypic cytokines active on these cells. Moreover, indications as to the in vivo relevance of in vitro effects were obtained. G-CSF and GM-CSF induced endothelial cells to proliferate and migrate. In contrast, unlike appropriate reference cytokines (IL-1 and tumor necrosis factor, IFN-gamma), G-CSF and GM-CSF did not modulate endothelial cell functions related to hemostasis-thrombosis (production of procoagulant activity and of platelet activating factor), inflammation (expression of leukocyte adhesion molecule-1 and production of platelet activating factor), and accessory function (expression of class II antigens of MHC). Other colony-stimulating factors (IL-3 and macrophage-colony-stimulating factor) were inactive on all functions tested. In comparison to basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), G-CSF and GM-CSF induced lower maximal proliferation of endothelial cells, whereas migration was of the same order of magnitude. G-CSF and GM-CSF stimulated repair of mechanically wounded endothelial monolayers. Exposure to both cytokines induced shape changes and cytoskeletal reorganization consistent with a migratory phenotype. To explore the in vivo relevance of the in vitro effects of these cytokines on endothelium, we studied the angiogenic activity of human G-CSF in the rabbit cornea. G-CSF, but not the heat-inactivated molecule, had definite angiogenic activity, without any sign of inflammatory reactions. G-CSF was less active than bFGF. However, the combination of a nonangiogenic dose of bFGF with G-CSF resulted in an angiogenic response higher than that elicited by either individual cytokines. Thus, G-CSF and GM-CSF induce endothelial cells to express an activation/differentiation program (including proliferation and migration) related to angiogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Genetica, Biologia, e Chimica Medica, Università di Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bussolino
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ziche
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alessi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Morbidelli
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Cremona
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bosia
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Marchisio
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mantovani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000494:pharmacology; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D011817:Rabbits; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor