title: Life after corpse engulfment: phagocytosis of apoptotic cells leads to VEGF secretion and cell growth.
abstract: Removal of apoptotic cells by neighboring viable cells or professional phagocytes is essential for the maintenance of tissue homeostastis. Here we show that the phagocytosis of apoptotic Jurkat T cells by mouse epithelial cells (HC-11) and peritoneal macrophages leads to the secretion of growth and survival factors. We characterized VEGF as one of these factors which subsequently promote the proliferation of endothelial cells. Further we demonstrate that the phagocytosis of apoptotic bodies inhibits both spontanous and UV-irradiation-induced apoptosis in endothelial and epithelial cells. These effects were not observed when phagocytes had been exposed to viable or necrotic Jurkat T cells. We conclude that phagocytosis of apoptotic cells leads to secretion of growth and survival factors by phagocytes that represents a new form of life-promoting cell-cell interaction.
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary Hypertension Center, University of Colorado, Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado, USA.
authors.forename: Heiko A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Golpon
authors.forename: Valerie A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Fadok
authors.forename: Laima
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Taraseviciene-Stewart
authors.forename: Robertas
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scerbavicius
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sauer
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Welte
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Henson
authors.forename: Norbert F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Voelkel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D051379:Mice; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000166:cytology; D010586:Phagocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D010587:Phagocytosis; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006133:Growth Substances; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A