Selective induction of cell adhesion molecules by proinflammatory mediators in human cardiac microvascular endothelial cells in culture.

Pro-inflammatory mediators can dramatically alter many responses of cultured endothelial cells in vitro, which are relevant to understanding the role played by the endothelium in inflammation in vivo. The aim of this study was to determine the ability of a comprehensive array of pro-inflammatory stimuli to modulate Cell Adhesion Molecule (CAM) expression in cultures of human microvascular cardiac endothelial cells (HMVEC.c). Cell ELISA, immunocy-tochemistry and flow cytometry were used to measure the CAM expressions in HMVEC.c in response to interleukins, TNF-α and LPS. Passage matched HMVEC.c from different donors showed different CAM expression profiles, confirming inherent variability in endothelial cells. Endothelial cells from different parts of the vasculature are exposed to different cytokines and thus different protein expression profiles. A thorough understanding of these innate differences in expression pattern of the microvasculatures of cardiac tissues might allow us the opportunity to target these tissues selectively.