Protective effects of heparin on endothelial cells in sepsis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to observe the protective effects of heparin on endothelial cells in sepsis and explore the involved signal pathway regulated by heparin. Methods Human vascular endothelial cells were treated by TNFα in vitro to simulate the inflammatory environment when sepsis occurred. They were intervened by heparin and the expression levels of soluble thrombomodulin (sTM) and serum activated protein C (APC) were detected by ELISA, the regulatory mechanism of heparin improving vascular endothelial cells injury induced by TNFα was detected by Western Blotting method, the methylation of histone in the gene promoter region of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) were detected using chromatin immunoprecipitation method. Results Heparin could inhibit the secretion of sTM and APC protein and the expression of MCP-1 gene which involved in NF-κB signal pathway. Conclusions Heparin could protect vascular endothelial cells from injury induced by TNFα and sepsis, the mechanisms were related with the effects of heparin on the histone methylation of promoter region and the regulation of heparin on the MAPK and NF-κB signal pathways. These results provide a theoretical basis for the application of heparin in the prevention and treatment of vascular disease related with sepsis.