Comprehensive transcriptome of proteases and protease inhibitors in vascular cells.
OBJECTIVE
Smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, and macrophages are essential components of the vasculature, of which the homeostatic gene expression participate importantly in the maintenance of vascular wall integrity. The pathogenesis of vascular diseases, such as cerebral ischemia, atherosclerosis, and abdominal aortic aneurysms, often associates with inflammation and altered gene expression, including proteolytic enzymes that play multiple and important roles in extracellular matrix degradation, cell proliferation and migration, and latent enzyme or growth factor activation.


METHODS
Human saphenous vein smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, and monocyte-derived macrophages from 3 independent donors were stimulated with interleukin 1beta, interferon gamma, tumor necrosis factor alpha, basic fibroblast growth factor, and vascular endothelial growth factor, 5 common proinflammatory mediators often found in diseased human microvessels and macrovessels. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to examine the mRNA levels of 49 proteolytic enzymes and their inhibitors, selected from 4 protease families, in these vascular cells.


CONCLUSIONS
Although primary cultured cells from different donors may behave differently in response to these proinflammatory cytokines, data from this study revealed a broad view of vascular cell protease expression profiles under inflammatory conditions, critical to studies of inflammation-associated vascular tissue remodeling.
Shi
Guo-Ping
GP
Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. gshi@rics.bwh. harvard.edu
Dolganov
Gregory M
GM
D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000378:metabolism; D050197:Atherosclerosis; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D007372:Interferons / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000166:cytology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism
D007375:Interleukin-1; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D007372:Interferons; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases