title: A study on human umbilical cord endothelial cells: functional modifications induced by plasma from insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the action of plasma from insulin-dependent diabetic (IDDM) pregnant women on nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). We also studied the effect of the plasma on cytosolic calcium and on Na+/K+-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity. Dynamic fluorescence studies of membrane fluidity were contemporarily performed to detect a direct effect of plasma on the endothelial cell membrane. We observed a significant increase in NOS activity, intracellular calcium, and Na+/K+-ATPase activity in cultured HUVECs exposed to IDDM plasma. Our dynamic fluorescence study showed a different microenvironmental organization of the cellular membrane after incubation with plasma from IDDM pregnant women, with a marked decrease in microheterogeneity as evaluated in terms of 1-(4-trimethylaminophenyl)-6-phenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (TMA-DPH) lifetime distribution width. The present investigation suggests that plasma from IDDM pregnant women can cause a generalized disturbance in the function of endothelial cells cultured from healthy subjects. Such a modification might play a central role in the pathogenesis of the vascular complications of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Biochimica and Clinica Ostetrica e Ginecologica, Università di Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Salvolini
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Rabini
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martarelli
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Moretti
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cester
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mazzanti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001790:Blood Physiological Phenomena; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood*; D004161:Diphenylhexatriene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D005470:Fluorometry; D006801:Humans; D008560:Membrane Fluidity / Q000502:physiology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D011247:Pregnancy; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000097:blood*; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000378:metabolism; D014471:Umbilical Veins / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D004161:Diphenylhexatriene; C033628:1-(4-(trimethylamino)phenyl)-6-phenylhexa-1,3,5-triene; C496314:NOS3 protein, human; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase; D002118:Calcium