Evidence for the development of macrophage-like cells in long-term culture of bovine aortic endothelial cells.
Macrophages are known to be derived from monocytes which proliferate in the bone marrow. The proliferation of monocytes may occur in other places as well. In the present study, we describe the morphological behaviour of macrophage-like cells in endothelial cell cultures obtained from bovine aorta. These cells resembled hemopoietic clones containing progenitor-like cells. Immature and mature macrophage-like cells were rich in acid phosphatase activity, and expressed the CD18 molecule using immunolocalisation. Mature cells contained intracellular lipid droplets. "Actin" globules were apparent only in the peripheral cell areas without lamellipodia or filipodia. At the ultrastructural level, the mature cells were crowded with granules which could be lysosomes, phagolysosomes, or endocytotic vesicles. Multinuclear giant cells which behaved in a different way to the macrophage-like cells were observed. The development and maintenance of macrophage-like cells appears to be dependent on the coculture with endothelial cells. It may signify that endothelial cells are involved in the proliferation of monocytes outside the bone marrow.
Spanel-Borowski
K
K
Department of Anatomy, University of Basel, Switzerland.
Herrmann
G
G
Ricken
A M
AM
Davis
W C
WC
D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta; D018821:CD18 Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D013997:Time Factors
D018821:CD18 Antigens; D000135:Acid Phosphatase