Cytokine-induced adhesion molecule expression on human umbilical vein endothelial cells is not regulated by cyclic adenosine monophosphate accumulation.

We examined the effect of agents which augment intracellular levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate on the expression of adhesion molecules on human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Surface protein expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule-1, or intercellular adhesion molecule-1, which is induced by tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-1, and lipopolysaccharide, was not induced by pentoxyfilline, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, nor by dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate. Furthermore, neither of these two cyclic adenosine monophosphate elevating agents nor HA 1004, an inhibitor of the cyclic adenosine monophosphate-dependent protein kinase, had any effect on tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced surface expression of these adhesion molecules. Likewise, cyclic adenosine monophosphate elevating agents were without effect on leukocyte adherence to endothelium stimulated either with these agents alone or in combination with tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Additionally, activators of the stimulatory or inhibitory guanine nucleotide-dependent binding proteins did not affect TNF-alpha-induced surface expression of endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule-1 or vascular cell adhesion molecule-1.