Microvascular endothelial cells play potential immunoregulatory roles in the immune response to foot-and-mouth disease vaccines.

Microvascular endothelial cells (MVECs) have been documented to have important immunoregulatory effects. Exploring their roles in the immune response to foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccines would help to improve their efficacy. In this study, the effects of FMD vaccine 146s antigens on gene expression profiles of rat intestinal mucosal and myocardial MVECs were analysed using microarray, and their effects on transendothelial migration (TEM) of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were investigated by the Transwell migration assay. Both kinds of MVECs displayed significant responses to 146s antigens, and 252 and 67 genes were differentially expressed in rat intestinal mucosal and myocardial MVECs, respectively. Despite different altered gene expression patterns, many immune-associated genes were involved in both kinds of MVECs. The gene expression changes by microarray were confirmed by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Transwell migration analysis indicated that the TEM of PBMC was increased by 146s antigens, which could be partially inhibited by blocking vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 in MVECs. This study suggests that MVECs play potential immunoregulatory roles in the immune response to FMD vaccines, one of which is influencing the TEM of immune cells.