title: Effects of endothelin-1 on human trabecular meshwork cell contraction. an in vitro cell culture model.
abstract: Trabecular meshwork (TM) cells are now considered to play an active role in the aqueous outflow mechanism, since they exhibit smooth muscle-like contractile properties. Endothelin-1 (ET-1), a potent vasoconstrictor peptide, has been proposed to play a role in the local regulation of aqueous outflow and intra-ocular pressure control. We propose an in vitro culture model as a method in the study of ET-1-induced human trabecular meshwork (HTM) cell contractility. Experiments were performed on semi-confluent HTM cells (primary cultures established from normotensive human donor eyes) at the 2nd passage with PBS as control, ET-1, sarafotoxin 6c (a selective endothelin B receptor agonist) and Y-27632 (a selective inhibitor of rho-associated kinase). The contractile status of the cells was evaluated by a morphometric analysis of the cell area, assuming that HTM cells in culture are able to reduce their area as a consequence of cytoskeletal contraction rather than regulatory volume decrease. Our data indicate that image analysis of the HTM cell area can be a reliable method in the study of TM cell contractility, since it utilizes human cells and offers versatile opportunities for the pharmacological evaluation of drugs controlling HTM cell status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Transplant, Section of Ophthalmology I, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. cellinim@med.unibo.it
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cellini
authors.forename: Piera
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Versura
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Trerè
authors.forename: Emilio C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Campos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000577:Amides / Q000494:pharmacology; D048430:Cell Shape / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000187:drug effects*; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology; D044023:Receptor, Endothelin B / Q000819:agonists; D014129:Trabecular Meshwork / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D014757:Viper Venoms / Q000494:pharmacology; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases
chemical_list: D000577:Amides; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D019332:Endothelin-1; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D011725:Pyridines; D044023:Receptor, Endothelin B; D014757:Viper Venoms; C057354:sarafotoxins s6; C108830:Y 27632; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases