Isolation, growth requirements, cloning, prostacyclin production and life-span of human adult endothelial cells in low serum culture medium.

Endothelial cells from autopsy and biopsy specimens from a variety of adult human vascular tissue were harvested by collagenase treatment and gentle swabbing of the lumenal surface. Nutrient medium MCDB 107 containing a partially purified brain-derived growth factor (5 micrograms/ml), epidermal growth factor (10 ng/ml) and only 2% (v/v) fetal bovine serum supported clonal and long-term serial culture (17.6 to 26.1 cumulative population doublings) of endothelial cells from vena cava, thoracic aorta and tibial arteries at a 70% rate of success. Cumulative doublings of the cell population from eight cultures were inversely proportional to age of donor of the vascular tissue from which cells were isolated. Heparin had an enhancing effect on cell growth that varied with cell strain. Prostacyclin production of human adult endothelial cell cultures was stimulated by arachidonate and thrombin by 17 to 20 and 2 to 3-fold respectively. Endogenous and stimulated rates of prostacyclin production by human adult endothelial cells were 2 to 3 times that of human adult smooth muscle cells and 20 to 30 times that of human fibroblasts.