Mario Lorenz1, Janina Koschate2, Katharina Kaufmann2, Corinna Kreye3, Michael Mertens4, Wolfgang M Kuebler4, Gert Baumann2, Gabriele Gossing5, Alex Marki4, Andreas Zakrzewicz4, Christian Miéville1, Andreas Benn6, Daniel Horbelt6, Paul R Wratil7, Karl Stangl2, Verena Stangl8. 1. Medizinische Klinik für Kardiologie und Angiologie, Campus Mitte, Charite - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany; DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Berlin, Germany. 2. Medizinische Klinik für Kardiologie und Angiologie, Campus Mitte, Charite - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany. 3. Miltenyi Biotec GmbH, Bioinformatics, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany. 4. Institut für Physiologie, CharitéCentrum 2, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany. 5. Klinik für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany. 6. Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany. 7. Institut für Laboratoriumsmedizin, Klinische Chemie und Pathobiochemie, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany. 8. Medizinische Klinik für Kardiologie und Angiologie, Campus Mitte, Charite - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany; DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: verena.stangl@charite.de.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Significant sex differences exist in cardiovascular diseases. Although an impact of gonadal hormones is presumed, it is largely unknown whether sexually dimorphic gene expression also plays a role and whether cells themselves show intrinsic sex differences. METHODS: We performed whole genome expression analyses in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) from 20 male and 20 female donors and compared levels of gene transcription between the sexes. To further assess whether there is a sex-specific response to stress, we subjected male and female HUVEC to shear for 24 h and analysed changes in gene expression. RESULTS: Genes indicative for greater immune responsiveness were stronger expressed in female compared to male HUVEC. There was a significant enrichment of 77 immune-related genes in female HUVEC. These increased transcriptional levels in female cells were verified for 20 genes by real-time RT-PCR. 6.7% of all mRNAs were regulated by shear stress. Female HUVEC showed a more pronounced transcriptional response to shear than did their male counterparts. In addition to quantitative differences, a number of genes were regulated in the opposite direction between the two sexes by shear stress. Functionally, female HUVEC showed a higher cell viability after serum starvation and an increased tube formation capacity compared to male cells. CONCLUSION: These findings underscore the importance for differentiation between male and female cells in cell culture experiments. This may apply not only to endothelial cells but might be generalized to other cell types as well. The observed sexual dimorphisms in gene expression in endothelial cells may contribute to sex differences between males and females in endothelial function.
OBJECTIVE: Significant sex differences exist in cardiovascular diseases. Although an impact of gonadal hormones is presumed, it is largely unknown whether sexually dimorphic gene expression also plays a role and whether cells themselves show intrinsic sex differences. METHODS: We performed whole genome expression analyses in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) from 20 male and 20 female donors and compared levels of gene transcription between the sexes. To further assess whether there is a sex-specific response to stress, we subjected male and female HUVEC to shear for 24 h and analysed changes in gene expression. RESULTS: Genes indicative for greater immune responsiveness were stronger expressed in female compared to male HUVEC. There was a significant enrichment of 77 immune-related genes in female HUVEC. These increased transcriptional levels in female cells were verified for 20 genes by real-time RT-PCR. 6.7% of all mRNAs were regulated by shear stress. Female HUVEC showed a more pronounced transcriptional response to shear than did their male counterparts. In addition to quantitative differences, a number of genes were regulated in the opposite direction between the two sexes by shear stress. Functionally, female HUVEC showed a higher cell viability after serum starvation and an increased tube formation capacity compared to male cells. CONCLUSION: These findings underscore the importance for differentiation between male and female cells in cell culture experiments. This may apply not only to endothelial cells but might be generalized to other cell types as well. The observed sexual dimorphisms in gene expression in endothelial cells may contribute to sex differences between males and females in endothelial function.
Authors: Virginia H Huxley; Scott S Kemp; Christine Schramm; Steve Sieveking; Susan Bingaman; Yang Yu; Isabella Zaniletti; Kevin Stockard; Jianjie Wang Journal: J Physiol Date: 2018-07-15 Impact factor: 5.182
Authors: Chi Zhou; Qin Yan; Qing-Yun Zou; Xin-Qi Zhong; Chanel T Tyler; Ronald R Magness; Ian M Bird; Jing Zheng Journal: Hypertension Date: 2019-06-03 Impact factor: 10.190