Hepatocyte growth factor transduces different intracellular signals in aortic and umbilical venous endothelial cells.
Endothelial cells are important for maintenance of vascular integrity by producing a variety of bioactive molecules such as nitric oxide (NO). Recent evidence has suggested that there are some differences in characteristics between endothelial cells from different origins. Here we examined responses of two typical endothelial cells to hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), which induces endothelium-dependent relaxation of microvessels. Stimulation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) with HGF increased endothelial NO synthase activity, accompanied with an increase of activity-related site-specific phosphorylation of protein kinase B/Akt. However, HGF stimulated phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) only in HUVEC, but not in BAEC, while it induced phosphorylation of p44/p42 MAPK in both cells. These results suggest that HGF transduces different intracellular signals between aortic and umbilical venous endothelial cells, and that the differences might represent divergent endothelial responses to growth factors, especially those that activate receptor-tyrosine kinases.
Makondo
Kennedy
K
Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan.
Kimura
Kazuhiro
K
Kitamura
Takanori
T
Yamaji
Daisuke
D
Saito
Masayuki
M
D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000166:cytology; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D014471:Umbilical Veins / Q000166:cytology
D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase