© 2000 American Heart Association, Inc.
Vascular Biology |
Regulation by Fibrinogen and Its Products of Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 Expression in Human Saphenous Vein Endothelial Cells
From the Department of Vascular Surgery, Imperial School of Medicine at Charing Cross Hospital, London, UK.
Correspondence to Prof Janet T. Powell, Department of Vascular Surgery, Imperial School of Medicine at Charing Cross Hospital, Fulham Palace Road, London W6 8RF, UK. E-mail j.powell{at}ic.ac.uk
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Abstract—It has been reported that fibrinogen may act as a bridging ligand, binding to intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) on human umbilical vein endothelial cells and to Mac-1 on THP-1 cells (a monocytic cell line) to increase adhesion. In this study, we investigated whether fibrinogen altered the expression of ICAM-1 and, thus, increased the adhesion of THP-1 cells to cultured human saphenous vein endothelial cells (HSVECs). Incubation of HSVECs with 0.3 to 4 µmol/L fibrinogen caused a time- and concentration-dependent increase in ICAM-1, as determined by ELISA. The 4- to 5-fold increase in ICAM-1 protein concentration in HSVECs stimulated by 4 µmol/L fibrinogen for 6 hours was concomitant with a 4- to 5-fold increase in ICAM-1 mRNA. This fibrinogen-stimulated ICAM-1 upregulation was associated with a 2-fold increase in THP-1 cell adhesion to HSVECs. The fibrinogen-derived peptide Bß15-42 bound to HSVECs (Kd 0.18 µmol/L). Preincubation of HSVECs with Bß15-42, a neutralizing antibody to urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), or the F(ab)1 fragment of a monoclonal antibody to vascular endothelial cadherin significantly attenuated the increase in ICAM-1 stimulated by fibrinogen. Capillary electrophoretic analysis indicated that anti-uPA prevented the release of any fibrinopeptide B (Bß1-14) in cultures of HSVECs incubated with 4 µmol/L fibrinogen for 6 hours. Moreover, incubation of HSVECs with either fibrin monomer (1 µmol/L) or monoclonal antibodies to vascular endothelial cadherin (25 µg/mL) increased ICAM-1 protein concentration 3- to 4-fold. These findings indicate that cleavage of fibrinopeptide B from fibrinogen by endothelial uPA permits the exposed Bß15-42 sequence of fibrinogen to bind to vascular endothelial cadherin on HSVECs and to upregulate the expression of ICAM-1.
Key Words: fibrinogen • intercellular adhesion molecule-1 • saphenous vein endothelium • vascular endothelial cadherin • Bß15–42
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Introduction |
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Fibrinogen is an important cardiovascular risk factor and contributes to elevated plasma viscosity and the high risk of fibrin clot formation in atherosclerotic vessels. An increased plasma fibrinogen concentration has been associated with saphenous vein bypass graft stenosis and occlusion.1 2 3 4 Along with the excessive proliferation of intimal smooth muscle cells, leukocyte infiltration is a major histological feature of flow-limiting stenoses in saphenous vein bypass grafts.5 6
Fibrinogen and its degradation products have several direct effects on the vascular endothelium that may be associated with the development of intimal lesions. Fibrinogen and its degradation products stimulate the release of several growth factors and urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) from endothelial cells7 8 and can promote an increase the vascular permeability and disorganization of the endothelium.8 9 The rapid and sustained increase in intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) cultured in the presence of fibrin10 could potentiate a number of cellular events mediated through this adhesion molecule. In keeping with this hypothesis, fibrinogen has been shown to mediate endothelium-dependent vasoactive effects on the saphenous vein that can be partially inhibited by a neutralizing antibody against ICAM-1.11
The demonstration that fibrinogen acts as a bridging ligand for
adhesion of THP-1 cells (a monocytic cell line) to cultured
HUVECs12 could signify a potential mechanism for the
promotion of monocyte infiltration into the vascular wall. The role of
fibrinogen as a bridging ligand was attributed to binding of the
117-133 sequence of the fibrinogen D domain to ICAM-1 on
endothelial cells.12 13 Other potential
receptors on the endothelial cell surface that may bind
to fibrinogen have been described; these include a receptor that
recognizes an epitope within the E domain and another that recognizes
the Bß15-42 sequence near the amino terminus of
fibrinogen.14 15 Very recently, it has been suggested that
vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin is the
endothelial receptor that recognizes the Bß15-42
amino terminus in the fibrin monomer.16 Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)
sequences at the carboxy terminus and the middle section of the 2 A
chains of fibrinogen17 are able to bind to
endothelial integrins.18 The functional
significance of these diverse interactions of fibrinogen with the
endothelium of human vessels is poorly understood.
Despite the findings reported for HUVECs with
subphysiological concentrations of fibrinogen
(0.1 µmol/L),12 it is not clear whether fibrinogen
has a definitive role in the promotion of monocyte adhesion in vivo.
Because of our interest in the mechanisms of saphenous vein graft
failure, we have investigated the possibility that incubation of
cultured human saphenous vein endothelial cells
(HSVECs) with high concentrations of fibrinogen is associated with the
upregulation of ICAM-1. The physiological
concentration of fibrinogen in whole blood is 4 to 6 µmol/L,
leading to a plasma concentration of 
10 µmol/L. In the
present study, we show that prolonged incubation of HSVECs with
physiological concentrations of fibrinogen (4
µmol/L) is associated with an increase in ICAM-1 expression, and we
provide some evidence to indicate that this increase in ICAM-1
expression is dependent on the endothelial receptor
VE-cadherin.
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Methods |
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Primary Culture of HSVECs
The use of the saphenous vein was approved by the Riverside Research Ethics Committee. HSVECs were isolated from human saphenous vein by collagenase digestion and cultured on fibronectin-coated plastic, as described previously.19 HSVECs were cultured in medium 199 supplemented with 10% (vol/vol) heat-inactivated human serum, 17 U · mL-1 heparin monoparin (CP Pharmaceuticals), 15 µg · mL-1 endothelial cell growth supplement, 50 U · mL-1 penicillin, and 50 µg · mL-1 streptomycin. The human serum used was devoid of fibrinogen, as determined by immunonephelometry. Cells were transferred into serum-free medium for experiments with fibrinogen and its fragments, fibrin monomer, and antibodies, with cells from different donors being used for separate experiments.
Preparation and Assay of Fibrinogen Fragments
The complex of fragments D and E was prepared from fibrinogen
(Kabi) by plasmin digestion and purified as described
previously.20 Fragment D was prepared from the fragment
D–fragment E complex by cation exchange chromatography
on a Mono Q FPLC column (Pharmacia Biotech) in the presence of 10
U · mL-1 Trasylol (Bayer). Fragment D was
eluted by using a 0% to 70% gradient of 2 mol/L
CaC12, 0.05 mol/L
Tris-Cl-, and 10 U ·
mL-1 Trasylol. Fibrinogen fragment E was
prepared from the plasmin digest after heat inactivation (30 minutes at
60°C). The supernatant collected after centrifugation
at 100 000g for 1 hour at 10°C contained fragment E
(fragment D having been precipitated). The purity of fragment D (95
kDa) and fragment E (50 kDa) were confirmed by SDS-PAGE with use of an
8% acrylamide gel. Soluble fibrin monomer was prepared by
thrombin-mediated cleavage of fibrinogen (5 µmol/L) in the
presence of 2 mmol/L glycine-proline-arginine-proline as
previously described.21 The reaction was stopped by
bringing the concentration of
D-phenylalanyl-L-prolyl-L-arginyl-chloromethylketone
to 1 mmol/L. Fibrinopeptides and low molecular
weight reagents were removed by using Centriplus 10 concentrators
(Amicon). Fibrinopeptides A and B were assayed by
capillary zone electrophoresis (Hewlett Packard) with the use of
standard curves in the concentration range 0.03 to 3 µmol/L.
High molecular weight fibrinogen products in cell culture medium
were removed with Centriplus 10 concentrators; the filtrate (0.5 mL)
was adjusted to pH 8.0 before addition of a suspension of 100 µL
Sephadex A25 (Pharmacia) to bind the fibrinopeptides.
After washing of the resin with 20 mmol/L HEPES (pH 8.0), the
fibrinopeptides were eluted with unbuffered 20
mmol/L HEPES, and the pH was readjusted to 7.6 before capillary
electrophoresis.
ICAM-1 ELISA
This assay was adapted from the von Willebrand factor
cell–based ELISA described by Short et al.22 In brief,
cells grown in 24-well plates were fixed in methanol for 30 minutes and
washed 3 times in wash buffer (10% [vol/vol] FCS and 0.5%
[vol/vol] Tween 20 in PBS). Fixed cells were incubated for 40 minutes
at 37°C in a 1:500 dilution of mouse anti–ICAM-1 monoclonal antibody
(Dako Ltd). Cells were washed 4 times in wash buffer and incubated with
1:500 biotin-labeled secondary antibody (Serotec) for 40 minutes at
37°C. After an additional washing, the cells were incubated with a
1:500 dilution of streptavidin horseradish peroxidase (Serotec) for 30
minutes at 37°C before development with 0.4 mg ·
mL-1
o-phenylenediamine (Sigma) diluted in
citrate phosphate buffer (pH 5.0) containing freshly added 0.012%
(vol/vol) H2O2. The
reaction was stopped by the addition of 2.5 mol/L
H2SO4, and the absorbance
at 492 nm was measured. All assays were performed in triplicate. Cells
incubated with 5 ng · mL-1 interleukin
(IL)-1ß were used as a positive control. The absorbance resulting
from background peroxidase activity and nonspecific binding
(anti-caldesmon) was subtracted from all reported absorbances.
Isolation of HSVEC mRNA
HSVECs in a 75-cm2 flask were incubated in
the absence or presence of up to 4 µmol ·
L-1 fibrinogen or 5 ng ·
mL-1 IL-1ß for 4 hours and washed in PBS, and
mRNA was isolated by use of an mRNA microisolation kit (Sigma), which
separates mRNA on oligo(dT) cellulose. The mRNA yield was 8 to 25 µg
per flask.
Slot Blotting
mRNA was detected by hybridization of digoxigenin (DIG)-labeled
probes. mRNA from HSVECs was diluted 1:4 to a final concentration of
50% (vol/vol) formamide and 6.7% (vol/vol) formaldehyde in SSC,
incubated for 15 minutes at 68°C, and cooled on ice before
application to positively charged nylon membrane in a slot-blot
manifold. Wells were rinsed twice with 10x SSC, and suction was
continued for 5 minutes. Probes were labeled with DIG-ddUTP with use of
a DIG oligonucleotide 3'–end-labeling kit
(Boehringer-Mannheim). The membrane was removed, air-dried, and
baked for 2 hours at 80°C. Membranes were hybridized overnight at
54°C with either 200 ng · mL-1
DIG–ICAM-1 probe cocktail (R&D Systems) or 12.5 pmol ·
L-1 DIG-GAPDH (Calbiochem-Novabiochem). The
membrane was developed by using a DIG luminescent detection kit for
nucleic acids (Boehringer-Mannheim). Quantification of mRNA was
performed by densitometric scanning.
Quantification of THP-1 Cell Adhesion to HSVECs
Measurement of THP-1 cell adhesion to HSVECs was performed as
described by Languino et al,12 except that adherent THP-1
cells were quantified by staining with a Leu M1 (CD15) monoclonal
antibody (Becton-Dickinson).23 Briefly, passage-2 or -3
cells were grown to confluence on fibronectin-coated 24-well plates and
stimulated for 6 hours with 5 ng · mL-1
recombinant human IL-1ß. THP-1 cells (1x106
cells per milliliter) were incubated for 20 minutes at room temperature
with 10 µmol/L
N-formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine. In some experiments,
HSVECs were preincubated with 35 µg ·
mL-1 monoclonal antibodies against ICAM-1 or
caldesmon. Medium was removed from cells, and THP-1 cells were added
and incubated for 30 minutes at 37°C. Nonadhered THP-1 cells were
removed, and the adhered cells were washed gently 3 times with RPMI
1640 at 37°C, followed by incubation and quantification of THP-1
cells with 100 µg · mL-1 anti-CD15, as
previously described.23
Binding Assays
The binding of Bß15-42 to HSVECs was performed essentially as
described previously for fibrinogen fragment D binding to
HSVECs.24 The Bß15-42 peptide was labeled with
125I by using the Iodo-Gen method (Pierce
Chemical Co) to a specific activity of 20 µCi/µg. Cells, in 96-well
plates, were incubated with [125I]Bß15-42 (0
to 750 nmol/L) in medium 199 containing 0.2% serum albumin, 17
U/mL heparin, and 15 mg/mL endothelial cell growth
supplement at 4°C for up to 3 hours. At the end of the incubation,
the medium was aspirated, and the cells were washed rapidly, 3 times,
with ice-cold PBS containing 0.2% serum albumin and 1
mmol/L CaCl2. The cells were lysed in PBS
containing 1% Nonidet NP-40, frozen, and thawed once, and an aliquot
(50 µL) was used for determination of radioactivity. Nonspecific
binding was determined by preincubating the cells for 20 minutes with a
100-fold molar excess of Bß15-42. Specific binding was calculated as
the difference in total binding and nonspecific binding.
Materials
Tissue culture medium was obtained from Life Technologies.
Endothelial growth supplement, antibiotics,
fibrinopeptides A and B, goat immunoglobulins, and
mouse anti-caldesmon monoclonal antibody were obtained from Sigma.
Fibronectin was a gift from Dr Jan van Mourik, Central Laboratory of
the Netherlands Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (CLB, Amsterdam,
Holland). Plasminogen and streptokinase were kindly
supplied by Prof David Lane, Department of Hematology, Imperial School
of Medicine at Charing Cross, London, UK. Mouse anti-human tumor
necrosis factor- (TNF-)–neutralizing antibody, recombinant human
IL-1ß, and ICAM-1 gene probe cocktail were obtained from R&D Systems.
Mouse anti-human ICAM-1 monoclonal antibody (clone 6.5B5,
IgG1
) was from Dako, mouse anti-human
VE-cadherin monoclonal antibody was from Affiniti, and polyclonal goat
anti-human uPA was from Chemicon. F(ab)1
fragments of anti–VE-cadherin were prepared by using an Immunopure Fab
Kit (Pierce & Warriner). 3 peptide
(corresponding to residues 117 to 113 of the fibrinogen chain),
Bß15-42 (corresponding to residues 15 to 42 of the fibrinogen Bß
chain), Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Val (GRGDV), and scrambled peptides were
synthesized in house, and their content was verified by mass
spectrometry (Advanced Biotechnology Centre, Charing Cross
Hospital). An IL-1ß ELISA kit was obtained from AMS Biotechnology
(Europe) Ltd.
Data Analysis
Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used for comparison of
paired experiments, and ANOVA, with the Bonferroni correction, was used
for multiple comparisons.
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Results |
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Fibrinogen Increases ICAM-1 Protein Expression in HSVECs
Incubation of HSVECs with IL-1ß (5 ng · mL-1) for 6 hours resulted in a 5-fold increase in ICAM-1 protein concentration, as monitored by the cell-based ELISA. When HSVECs were incubated with fibrinogen (0.3 to 4 µmol/L), in the presence of 1 U · mL-1 hirudin, there was a time- and concentration-dependent increase in ICAM-1 staining, although this was always less than the increase in ICAM-1 staining induced by IL-1ß (Figure 1
). A minimal
increase in ICAM-1 staining was observed after 2 hours of incubation
with IL-1ß or fibrinogen, but after 6 hours of incubation with 4
µmol/L fibrinogen ICAM-1, protein expression had increased >4-fold.
This increase in ICAM-1 protein was abolished when 10 µmol/L
cycloheximide or 2 µg · mL-1
actinomycin was added to the culture medium.
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6 separate experiments (using separate vein
donors).To investigate the effect of long-term exposure of HSVECs to fibrinogen, cells were incubated with 0 to 4 µmol/L fibrinogen in serum-free medium containing 1 U · mL-1 hirudin for 16 hours. Basal ICAM-1 expression (100% in the absence of fibrinogen) was increased to 154±78% at 0.3 µmol/L fibrinogen, to 171±19% at 1 µmol/L fibrinogen, to 171±18% at 2 µmol/L fibrinogen, and to 210±20% at 4 µmol/L fibrinogen (ANOVA, P<0.05; n=4). After incubation of HSVECs for >16 hours in serum-free medium, cell viability declined, with increasing concentrations of lactate dehydrogenase appearing in the medium. However, further experiments were conducted in which HSVECs were incubated with serum-free medium containing 4 µmol/L fibrinogen for 16 hours, followed by a "rest" period, during which cells were maintained in medium containing serum, but not fibrinogen, for 4 hours before further incubation with 0 to 4 µmol/L fibrinogen for a further 4 hours. Even at this late time point, 1, 2, and 4 µmol/L fibrinogen caused a 2-fold increase in ICAM-1 protein expression (n=5). Therefore, the ability of fibrinogen to increase ICAM-1 in HSVECs is maintained after long-term exposure, although the increase after 16 hours was only 2-fold compared with the 4-fold increase observed on initial stimulation of HSVECs with fibrinogen.
ICAM-1 mRNA Levels Increase After Incubation of HSVECs With
Fibrinogen
Incubation of cells with 5 ng · mL-1
IL-1ß or 0.3 to 4 µmol/L fibrinogen for 4 hours increased the
ratio of ICAM-1 mRNA to GAPDH mRNA (Figure 2). After incubation of the cells with
0.3, 1, 2, and 4 µmol/L fibrinogen, there were 3.5-, 4-, 6-, and
5.7-fold increases in the ICAM-1/GAPDH mRNA ratio, respectively,
compared with a 6-fold increase in the ICAM-1/GAPDH mRNA ratio after
incubation of HSVECs with IL-1ß.
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THP-1 Cell Adhesion Increases After Incubation of HSVECs With
Fibrinogen
Very few THP-1 cells adhered to quiescent confluent monolayers of
HSVECs, with the absorbance (492 nm) for CD15 detection being only
0.124±019. After culture of HSVECs with 4 µmol/L fibrinogen for
6 hours, the absorbance (for detection of adherent THP-1 cells)
increased to 0.208±0.048 (n=5, P<0.01). Cell counting
indicated that the proportion of THP-1 cells adhering to HSVECs had
increased from 5 to 6% and then to 9 to 12% after incubation of
HSVECs with fibrinogen. This apparent increase in THP-1 cell adhesion
was abolished when HSVECs were preincubated with monoclonal antibodies
against ICAM-1 (35 µg · mL-1, 20
minutes) before addition of THP-1 cells (absorbance 0.146±0.037),
whereas preincubation with monoclonal antibodies to caldesmon had no
effect (absorbance 0.197±0.05; ANOVA, P=0.013; n=5).
Although HSVECs were washed well before the addition of THP-1 cells, it
was possible that traces of fibrinogen remained and served as a
bridging ligand to support THP-1 cell adhesion.12
However, when HSVECs were preincubated with 0.3 to 4 µmol/L
fibrinogen for 30 minutes before the addition of THP-1 cells, only a
modest increase in THP-1 cell adhesion was observed, with maximum
adhesion occurring after preincubation of cells with 0.3 µmol/L
fibrinogen (ANOVA, P=0.04; n=6). THP-1 cell adhesion
increased to only 118±4% of basal levels at 0.3 µmol/L
fibrinogen, to 112±8% at 1 µmol/L fibrinogen, to 109±10% at
2 µmol/L fibrinogen, and to 94±4% at 4 µmol/L
fibrinogen (n=6). The increase in THP-1 cell adhesion stimulated by
0.3 µmol/L fibrinogen was abolished when HSVECs were
preincubated with 35 µg · mL-1
anti–ICAM-1 for 30 minutes
Fibrinogen Peptide Bß15-42 or Antibodies to uPA Inhibit the
Fibrinogen-Mediated Increase in ICAM-1 Expression
To investigate whether contamination or degradation of fibrinogen
might cause the increased ICAM-1 expression in HSVECs, we conducted
further experiments with ICAM-1 protein expression as the principal
reporter event. The inclusion of 100 U ·
mL-1 polymixin B (an inhibitor of
endotoxin activity) in the culture medium did not attenuate the
increase in ICAM-1 after incubation of HSVECs with fibrinogen.
Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed no major degradation
of fibrinogen after 6 hours of incubation with HSVECs; the A chain
appeared undegraded, but a small lower molecular weight satellite was
observed with the Bß chain. Fibrinopeptide A (5
µmol/L) and/or fibrinopeptide B (5 µmol/L)
neither increased ICAM-1 protein expression nor inhibited the increase
in ICAM-1 protein expression stimulated by fibrinogen after 6 hours of
incubation. The complex of fragment D and fragment E (from plasmin
degradation of fibrinogen), even at a concentration as high as 10
µmol/L, only increased ICAM-1 protein expression by <2-fold.
Similarly, the individual fibrinogen fragments D and E also exhibited
only weak effects on ICAM-1 protein expression. In contrast, fibrin
monomer caused a concentration-dependent increase in ICAM-1 protein
expression, to a maximum 3- to 4-fold increase after incubation with
1 µmol/L fibrin for 6 hours (Figure 3).
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Significant decrease compared with fibrin
monomer alone (ANOVA, P<0.05).
To confirm whether the effects of fibrinogen on ICAM-1 expression were
secondary to the induction of IL-1ß or TNF- production by
HSVECs, experiments were performed to monitor IL-1ß concentrations
and neutralize any TNF- secreted. After culture of HSVECs for 6
hours in the presence of 0, 0.3, 1, 2, and 4 µmol/L fibrinogen,
the concentration of IL-1ß in conditioned medium was 26±7, 26±1,
23±1, 23±13, and 20±9 pg · mL-1,
respectively (n=3). Similarly, the ability of fibrinogen to increase
ICAM-1 protein expression was maintained when HSVECs were incubated in
the presence of neutralizing antibodies to TNF-.
To investigate whether the ability of fibrinogen to increase ICAM-1
protein expression was the result of the engagement of a specific
receptor, screening experiments were performed in the presence of
50 µmol/L of the following peptides: GRGDV,
117–133 (gamma3), Bß15-42 and scrambled
Bß15-42 (DRGAPHRPPRGPISGRSPEKEKLLPGY), and the tyrosine kinase
inhibitor tyrphostin A25. None of the individual peptides
increased ICAM-1 protein expression in HSVECs. Of the peptides
screened, only Bß15-42 inhibited the increase ICAM-1 protein
expression stimulated by fibrinogen in HSVECs. After incubation of
HSVECs with 4 µmol/L fibrinogen for 6 hours, ICAM-1 protein
increased to 453±23% of the basal level. This increase in ICAM-1
protein expression was reduced to 291±18% of the basal level in the
presence of 10 µmol/L Bß15-42 ICAM-1 and to 165±20% in the
presence of 50 µmol/L Bß15-42 (ANOVA, P<0.02; n=5;
Figure 3
). Similarly, preincubation of HSVECs with 50
µmol/L Bß15-42, before incubation with 1 µmol/L fibrin
monomer, diminished (by >50%) the increase in ICAM-1 protein
expression (Figure 3). Tyrphostin A25 (3 µmol/L) also
strongly inhibited the fibrinogen-mediated increase in ICAM-1 protein
expression (data not shown).
The Bß15-42 sequence becomes exposed after enzymatic cleavage of
fibrinopeptide B. Therefore, we investigated whether
HSVECs expressed uPA, an enzyme known to cleave
fibrinopeptide B.25 HSVECs showed strong
positive staining for uPA (Figure 4), and preincubation of cells with a
neutralizing antibody against uPA (1:5000 dilution) for 20 minutes
prevented the increase in ICAM-1 protein expression stimulated by
4 µmol/L fibrinogen (Figure 3). In contrast,
preincubation of cells with a similar concentration of goat
immunoglobulins did not affect the 4- to-5 fold increase in ICAM-1
protein expression in response to 4 µmol/L fibrinogen (Figure 3). To determine whether cleavage of
fibrinopeptide B was catalyzed by secreted uPA, HSVECs
were incubated with serum-free medium for 6 hours, and this conditioned
medium was incubated with fibrinogen (4 µmol/L) for 6 hours in
the presence of hirudin. This fibrinogen-containing medium, in which
fibrinopeptide B was not detected, was then added to
HSVECs that had been preincubated with anti-uPA for 20 minutes; after 6
hours, the concentration of ICAM-1 had increased <2-fold.
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Taken together, these findings indicate that cleavage of
fibrinopeptide B mediated by
endothelial uPA can allow the newly exposed Bß15-42
amino-terminal domain of fibrinogen to bind to a specific receptor on
HSVECs and signal for an increase in ICAM-1 protein synthesis and
expression. This hypothesis is supported by the observation that
fibrinopeptide B at low concentrations (0.05 to
0.08 µmol/L), but not fibrinopeptide A, was
detected in the culture medium of HSVECs incubated with 4 µmol/L
fibrinogen for 6 hours. Moreover, fibrinopeptide B
levels fell below the limits of detection (0.03 µmol/L) in
the presence of anti-uPA (n=4). Incubation of HSVECs with a monoclonal
antibody to VE-cadherin (25 µg/mL) for 6 hours also increased ICAM-1
protein expression 4- to 5-fold (n=6), whereas an isotype-matched
antibody (anti-caldesmon) did not. The monoclonal antibody to
VE-cadherin and fibrinogen did not have additive effects to increase
ICAM-1 protein expression, but preincubation of HSVECs with Bß15-42
(50 µmol/L) for 20 minutes before the addition of
anti–VE-cadherin attenuated the increase in ICAM-1 protein expression.
The absorbance at 492 nm under basal conditions and after the cells
were incubated with anti–VE-cadherin and with
anti–VE-cadherin+Bß15-42 for 6 hours was 0.28±0.04, 1.19±0.18, and
0.83±0.06, respectively (n=4). In contrast, incubation of HSVECs with
the F(ab)1 fragment of anti–VE-cadherin (25
µg/mL) did not increase ICAM-1 protein expression. However,
preincubation of HSVECs with this same concentration of
F(ab)1 fragment for 20 minutes significantly
reduced the ability of fibrinogen to increase ICAM-1 protein expression
in HSVECs after 6 hours. The absorbance at 492 nm after cells were
incubated with the F(ab)1 fragment alone,
F(ab)1 fragment+fibrinogen (4 µmol/L), and
fibrinogen alone for 6 hours was 0.25±0.25, 0.58±0.10, and
1.03±0.12, respectively (ANOVA, P<0.05; n=4). These data
indicate that VE-cadherin could be the fibrinogen receptor on HSVECs
that signals an increase in ICAM-1 expression.
Binding of Bß15-42 to HSVECs
Very high concentrations (10 to 50 µmol/L) of the Bß15-42
peptide were required to inhibit the upregulation of ICAM-1 in HSVECs
after incubation with either fibrinogen or fibrin monomer for 6 hours.
The binding of [125I]Bß15-42 to HSVECs at
4°C increased over a time period of up to 3 hours and appeared to be
saturable at high concentrations of peptide (Figure 5). The Kd
for Bß15-42 binding to HSVECs at 4°C was calculated to be 0.18
µmol/L. A Scatchard plot of the ratio of bound peptide to free
peptide against bound [125I]Bß15-42 was
linear (Figure 5 inset), to confirm the presence of a single
binding site in the concentration range studied.
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Discussion |
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Providing the interface between the blood and the underlying layers of smooth muscle, the endothelium is the guardian of the vessel wall. Dejana et al26 were the first to describe the specific binding of fibrinogen to the endothelium. Since then, there have been numerous reports that particular sequences on the fibrinogen molecule, or its fragments, can interact with cultured endothelial cells and result in a variety of downstream events. In particular, the cleavage of fibrinopeptide B to expose the Bß15-42 sequence at the amino terminals of the Bß chains has been considered to mediate the release of von Willebrand factor, endothelial cell spreading, and proliferation on fibrin.14 27 28 Very recently, VE-cadherin has been identified as the endothelial cell receptor for the Bß15-42 sequence of fibrin.16 The present study indicates that interaction of the Bß15-42 sequence of fibrinogen with endothelial cells cultured from human saphenous vein leads to the upregulation of ICAM-1 and increased adhesiveness of the endothelial cell monolayer.
Incubation of HSVECs with high concentrations of fibrinogen resulted in
a 4- to 5-fold increase of both ICAM-1 mRNA and ICAM-1 protein within 6
hours. This upregulation of ICAM-1 had associated functional effects,
namely, that the adhesion of THP-1 cells increased by 2-fold. However,
fibrin monomer was also able to increase ICAM-1 protein expression in
HSVECs. The magnitude, time course, and long duration of this increase
in ICAM-1 expression were similar to those reported when fibrin was
polymerized on HUVECs.10 This underscored the possibility
that a degradation product of fibrinogen caused the upregulation of
ICAM-1. The major fibrinogen fragments D or E or the
fibrinopeptides A and B did not have comparable effects
on the upregulation of ICAM-1 protein expression, and we have
discounted the possibility of secondary effects mediated through
upregulation of IL-1ß or TNF- production. After prolonged
incubation of HSVECs with fibrinogen, very low concentrations of
fibrinopeptide B (but not
fibrinopeptide A) were detected. Cleavage of
fibrinopeptide B exposes the 15-42 sequence at the
amino terminus of the Bß chains. The peptide corresponding to
this sequence, Bß15-42, caused a concentration-dependent inhibition
of the ICAM-1 upregulation, which followed incubation of HSVECs with
fibrinogen or fibrin monomer. Hence, it appeared likely that a
product of fibrinogen (with fibrinopeptide B
removed) at very low concentrations (10 nmol/L) caused the
upregulation of ICAM-1 in HSVECs.
The NDSKII fibrinogen fragment, which contains the terminal Bß15-42 sequence, binds to VE-cadherin on HUVECs (Kd 7.5 nmol/L).16 Hence, nanomolar amounts of fibrinogen degradation products with the terminal Bß15-42 sequence could bind to endothelial cells. The Bß15-42 peptide showed much weaker binding to HSVEC monolayers (Kd 0.18 µmol/L). Nevertheless, even such weak binding could account for the partial inhibition of fibrinogen-mediated upregulation of ICAM-1 by this peptide at 10 to 50 µmol/L. The generation of fibrinogen degradation products with the terminal Bß15-42 sequence was unlikely to be the result of thrombin activity: experiments were conducted in the presence of hirudin, and no fibrinopeptide A was detected. Another serine protease (expressed by endothelial cells) that is capable of cleaving fibrinopeptide B from fibrinogen is uPA.25 28 A neutralizing antibody to uPA prevented the upregulation of ICAM-1 and the generation of fibrinopeptide B in HSVECs incubated with fibrinogen. There are 2 pieces of evidence to indicate that the localization of the newly exposed Bß15-42 sequence at the cell surface may be responsible for the potent effects of fibrinogen. First, only very low amounts of fibrinopeptide B (<1% fibrinogen concentration) were released over 6 hours. Second, uPA and other proteolytic enzymes secreted by HSVECs into conditioned medium did not appear to modify fibrinogen sufficiently to cause upregulation of ICAM-1 in the presence of neutralizing antibodies to uPA. VE-cadherin has been identified as the endothelial receptor for the Bß15-42 sequence of fibrin.16 Antibodies to VE-cadherin also stimulated a 4- to 5-fold increase in ICAM-1 protein expression in HSVECs, which was partially inhibited by preincubation of the cells with the peptide Bß15-42. More important, preincubation of HSVECs with the F(ab)1 fragment of anti–VE-cadherin abolished the effect of fibrinogen to increase ICAM-1 protein expression in HSVECs.
We propose that the following events are the most likely explanation for the results we have presented here: At high concentrations of fibrinogen, uPA localized on the endothelial cell surface activates the cleavage of fibrinopeptide B from fibrinogen. Subsequently, the newly exposed Bß15-42 sequence binds to VE-cadherin on endothelial cells and stimulates intracellular events, leading to the increased expression of ICAM-1 at transcriptional and protein levels. The intracellular events are likely to include tyrosine phosphorylation signaling, because tyrosine kinase blockade inhibited the upregulation of ICAM-1 protein expression.
In summary, the present study lends further support to the hypothesis that VE-cadherin is an important endothelial receptor for fibrinogen, after cleavage of fibrinopeptide B, leading to the upregulation of ICAM-1. A similar effect of fibrinogen and its products to upregulate ICAM-1 expression on the endothelial cells remaining on a newly implanted saphenous vein graft could increase the recruitment of leukocytes and thereby influence graft patency.
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Acknowledgments |
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This study was supported by the Medical Research Council, the British Heart Foundation, and the British Vascular Foundation. We thank all the cardiac and vascular surgeons of the Hammersmith Hospital Trust for saphenous veins, Sabena Qureshi for preparation of endothelial cells, and Colin Rantle for help with iodine labeling.
Received March 16, 1999; accepted September 7, 1999.
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