title: In vitro culture and characterization of gene targeted mouse endothelium.
abstract: Endothelial cells play a crucial role in maintaining cardiovascular homeostasis. Although many cardiovascular disorders involve endothelial cell dysfunction, the specific cellular and molecular mechanisms involved are not well known. We sought to establish a reproducible method of endothelial cell isolation from gene targeted mice to specifically examine endothelial pathophysiological mechanisms. Primary aortic endothelial cell cultures were established from wild type and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) deficient mice. Isolation of mouse aortic endothelial cells (MAEC) by fluorescent activated cell sorting routinely resulted in pure, homogenous, primary cultures. Wild type and ICAM-1 deficient endothelial cell morphology was similar, with both cultures showing cobblestone morphology and DiI-Ac-LDL staining. Monocyte adhesion to ICAM-1 deficient aortic endothelial cells was decreased by 86% as compared with wild type MAEC. Monocyte adhesion was also determined using YN-1, an ICAM-1 blocking antibody. YN-1 decreased monocyte adhesion to wild type aortic endothelial cells by 25%, whereas YN-1 did not further decrease monocyte adhesion to ICAM-1 deficient MAEC. These data demonstrate that gene targeted endothelial cell cultures are an effective means of identifying specific cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in endothelial cell physiology and dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genomics and Pathobiology, University of Alabama-Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-0019, USA.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Kevil
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Bullard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000166:cytology; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000276:immunology; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D018390:Gene Targeting; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009000:Monocytes / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1