title: Lack of inhibitory effects of the anti-fibrotic drug imatinib on endothelial cell functions in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a systemic autoimmune disease that is characterized by microangiopathy with progressive loss of capillaries and tissue fibrosis. Imatinib exerts potent anti-fibrotic effects and is currently evaluated in clinical trials. The aim of the present study was to exclude that the anti-fibrotic effects of imatinib are complicated by inhibitory effects on endothelial cell functions, which might augment vascular disease in SSc. Endothelial cells and mice were treated with pharmacologically relevant concentrations of imatinib. The expression of markers of vascular activation was assessed with real-time PCR. Proliferation was analysed with the cell counting experiments and the MTT assay. Apoptosis was quantified with caspase 3 assays, annexin V in vitro and with TUNEL staining in vivo. Migration was studied with scratch and transwell assays. Tube forming was investigated with the matrigel assay. Imatinib did not alter the expression of markers of vascular activation. Imatinib did not increase the percentage of annexin V positive cells or the activity of caspase 3. No reduction in proliferation or metabolic activity of endothelial cells was observed. Imatinib did not affect migration of endothelial cells and did not reduce the formation of capillary tubes. Consistent with the in vitro data, no difference in the number of apoptotic endothelial cells was observed in vivo in mice treated with imatinib. Imatinib does not inhibit activation, viability, proliferation, migration or tube forming of endothelial cells in vitro and in vivo. Thus, treatment with imatinib might not augment further endothelial cell damage in SSc.
authors.affiliation: Department for Internal Medicine 3 and Institute for Clinical Immunology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Paulius
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Venalis
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Maurer
authors.forename: Alfiya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akhmetshina
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dees
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stürzl
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zwerina
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jüngel
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gay
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schett
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Distler
authors.forename: Jörg H W
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Distler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001549:Benzamides; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000187:drug effects; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005355:Fibrosis; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D051379:Mice; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology; D010879:Piperazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D001549:Benzamides; D015415:Biomarkers; D010879:Piperazines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate
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