title: Regulation of low shear flow-induced HAEC VCAM-1 expression and monocyte adhesion.
abstract: We recently reported that prolonged exposure of human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC) to low shear stress flow patterns is associated with a sustained increase in the activated form of the transcriptional regulator nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB). Here we investigate the hypothesis that low shear-induced activation of NF-kappaB is responsible for enhanced expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1) resulting in augmented endothelial cell-monocyte (EC-Mn) adhesion and that this activation is dependent on intracellular oxidant activity. Before exposure to low shear (2 dyn/cm2) for 6 h, HAEC were preincubated with or without the antioxidants pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) or N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC). PDTC strongly inhibited low shear-induced activation of NF-kappaB, expression of VCAM-1, and EC-Mn adhesion. Paradoxically, NAC exerted a positive effect on low shear-induced VCAM-1 expression and EC-Mn adhesion and only slightly downregulated NF-kappaB activation. However, cytokine-induced NF-kappaB activation and VCAM-1 expression are blocked by both PDTC and NAC. These data suggest that NF-kappaB plays a key role in low shear-induced VCAM-1 expression and that pathways mediating low shear- and cytokine-induced EC-Mn adhesion may be differentially regulated.
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000906:Antibodies / Q000494:pharmacology; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D001011:Aorta; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D009000:Monocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000502:physiology; D011759:Pyrrolidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D012212:Rheology; D013859:Thiocarbamates / Q000494:pharmacology; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology