Aortic endothelial cell migration. I. Matrix requirements and composition.

Endothelial cell migration was studied following a mechanical injury produced in cultured confluent monolayers of calf aortic endothelium with the use of a quantitative migration assay. In this method the cells were grown on glass coverslips coated with scarlet red-containing Formvar. At confluency, the cultures were cut in half with a blade; one half was removed with the pigmented Formvar, and the other was returned to culture. Migration was linear for a least 96 hours, and was due to cell motility, not proliferation. Since it was blocked in the presence of L-azetidine carboxylic acid or cis-hydroxyproline, inhibitors of collagen secretion, endothelial cell migration appeared to be dependent on the continual secretion of collagen. Furthermore, the types, apparent relative amounts, and localizations of the collagens as well as laminin changed during the migratory process. These studies support the notion that the aortic endothelial cell migratory response to injury is a dynamic one requiring the continual secretion and modulation of matrix molecules.